Abortion

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Earl Howe on 16 December (HL Deb, col 103), that “noble Lords around the House will form their own conclusions on the information provided by the noble Lord, Lord Alton” concerning the relative numbers of males and females and the prevalence of gender selection abortions in China, what conclusion they draw.

Earl Howe: As stated in my response to the noble Lord on 16 December (HL Deb, Col 103), I shall undertake the commitment to contact the Department for International Development.

Academies: Special Educational Needs

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many tribunal appeals there have been in relation to (1) academy schools’ admission processes for Special Educational Needs (SEN), and (2) academy schools’ education of pupils with SEN; of these how many tribunal outcomes went against the academy; and, in those instances, on how many occasions there were issues with compliance.

Lord Faulks: HM Courts & Tribunals Service, First-tier Tribunal Special Educational Needs and Disability (FtT SEND) considers appeals from the parents of children with special educational needs or from young people with special educational needs, against the decisions of Local Authorities where the parent or the young person cannot reach agreement with the Local Authority about how those needs will be met. FtT SEND also considers parents’ or young persons’ claims of disability discrimination in schools. The Ministry of Justice has recently published FtT SEND statistics for the 2013-14 academic year and these can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/385777/sen-tables-2014.xls.
	Although the tribunal deals with appeals against local authority placements it does not deal with appeals relating to the admission processes for children with SEN in any schools nor does it deal with appeals relating to the education within schools of children with SEN. HMCTS is therefore unable to provide the specific information that has been requested and has no role in compliance.
	Appeals to the FtT SEND are against Local Authorities rather than the individual school or educational establishment. Appeals can be made for a number of reasons including, for example, where the Local Authority has refused to undertake an assessment of the child’s or young person’s needs or where a parent disagrees with the school named in the Education, Health and Social Care Plan provided by the Local Authority. The tribunal may, in this latter group of cases, require the local authority to amend the name of the school or other institution to that preferred by the parent or young person. That preferred school may be an academy.

Academies: Special Educational Needs

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many complaints they have received regarding (1) the admission decisions in relation to children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), and (2) the teaching of children with SEN, by academy schools.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there have been any cases where an academy has refused to admit a Special Educational Needs pupil owing to budgetary constraints; and, if so, how many.

Lord Nash: On behalf of the Secretary of State, the Education Funding Agency (EFA) deals with academy special educational needs (SEN) admission determination requests involving pupils in receipt of a statement of SEN or Education, Health and Care plan. Between January 2013 and November 2014 the EFA handled 56 admission determination requests.
	The EFA does not categorise complaints about the teaching of children with SEN by academy schools, or whether a request for an SEN admission determination was received because an academy refused to admit a child owing to budgetary constraints.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Baroness Manzoor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many doctor and nursing vacancies there were in emergency medicine in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many general practitioner and nursing vacancies there were in general practice in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Earl Howe: The information is not collected by the Department. The last annual National Health Service vacancy surveys in England were undertaken by the Health and Social Care Information Centre in 2010. These surveys were suspended in 2011 and then discontinued in 2013 following the publication of the Fundamental Review of Data Returns, which aimed to reduce the burden of the collection of data from National Health Service organisations.

Aggregates

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the availability of aggregates for the construction industry.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills publish data on the aggregates industry, in their statistical bulletin ‘Monthly Statistics of Building Materials and Components’. This does not include any measure of availability (such as stock levels), but does include sales of; sand for building; sand for concreting; gravel for concreting, and other uses; sand and gravel for coating; sand, gravel, and hoggin for fill; and marine dredged sand and gravel.
	
		
			 Sales of Sand and Gravel in Great Britain 
			 Great Britain 
			   Sand for Building Sand for Concreting Gravel for Concreting& other uses Sand & Gravel for Coating Sand, Gravel& Hoggin for Fill Sand & Gravel Thousand tonnes of which Marine-Dredged 
			Total  
			 2013 Q4 1,227 4,510 4,115 .. .. 12,074 2,634 
			 2014 Q1 1,420 4,450 4,463 400 1,741 12,475 2,447 
			 2014 Q2 1,355 4,419 4,788 320 1,207 12,090 2,900 
			 2014 Q3 (P) 1,674 5,277 5,122 699 1,116 13,889 3,489 
		
	
	P – provisional
	.. - not available
	Source: BIS

Aggregates

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that the United Kingdom aggregates industry can compete fairly against overseas suppliers.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Returning the UK to balanced and sustainable growth is a key priority and Industrial Strategy is a key part of the plan. Improving the UK’s trade position is central to much of Industrial Strategy.
	The trade position in UK aggregates is positive. In the most recent quarter (2014Q3), provisional figures from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills show that UK exports of aggregates outstripped exports by 5,958 thousand tonnes (6,904 thousand tonnes of exports, compared to 946 thousand tonnes of imports).
	The level of imports and exports in non-specialist aggregates to the UK is relatively low. For instance, over the same quarter (2014Q3), provisional figures for UK sales of sand for building and concreting totalled 6,951 thousand tonnes, compared to UK imports of 370 thousand tonnes of sand for construction and exports of 165 thousand tonnes.
	The Aggregates Levy – an environmental tax levied on commercially exploited aggregates – has been frozen for the last four years to support the construction industry. The tax is levied on imported aggregate, but not on that exported by UK producers, enabling them to compete fairly with overseas suppliers. The Government remains committed to reinstating the Aggregate Levy Credit Scheme in Northern Ireland following a positive decision by the European Commission earlier this year. The credit scheme helped mitigate the different market conditions the aggregates industry in Northern Ireland faces due to sharing a land boundary with another EU Member State.

Aircraft Carriers

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what evidence-based analysis they have conducted to establish the vulnerability of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers to modern submarine threats.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what evidence-based analysis they have conducted to establish the vulnerability of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers to modern anti-ship missile threats.

Lord Astor of Hever: Comprehensive threat and survivability analysis was conducted by Defence Science and Technology Laboratories during the design phase of the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers. The output of this analysis is periodically reviewed and updated with input from Defence Intelligence Services and the Maritime Warfare Centre, and used to inform continued development of the operating procedures and war-fighting doctrine for the QEC.
	I am withholding further details of this analysis and its conclusions as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Alcoholic Drinks

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the decision of five states in the United States to ban the sale of Palcahol.

Lord Bates: The Government is aware of powdered alcohol from media reports and the banning of the product in five states of the United States of America. The Government is not aware of powdered alcohol being marketed or made available to buy in England and Wales.

Alcoholic Drinks

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with partners in the Responsibility Deal about the import, production and sale in the United Kingdom of Palcahol and its European equivalents; and what were the outcomes of such discussions.

Earl Howe: The Department has not discussed the import, production and sale in the United Kingdom of Palcahol and its European equivalents with partners in the Responsibility Deal.

Alcoholic Drinks

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will report the results of the Chief Medical Officer's review of the unit measuring system for alcoholic drinks.

Earl Howe: The review is currently underway and we expect to be able to consult on any new guidelines by summer 2015.

Alcoholic Drinks: Taxation

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how HM Revenue and Customs classify powdered alcohol for tax purposes.

Lord Deighton: HMRC classifies powdered alcohol as being liable to excise duty, chargeable at the equivalent rate to spirits drinks.
	This reflects a ruling by the European Commission in 2005 which concluded that there are no grounds for exempting alcohol powder products from excise duty under Article 27 of Directive 92/83/EEC’ (the ‘alcohol structures directive’).

Ambulance Services: City of Westminster

Lord Hoyle: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 5 December (HL3203), why the percentage of ambulances arriving within the target response time of the London Ambulance Service in the City of Westminster is below 70 per cent.

Earl Howe: We understand that London Ambulance Service NHS Trust is facing the same challenges in responding to calls within the City of Westminster that it is facing across the capital. This year the service has been experiencing a significant increase in demand whilst at the same time having to contend with a high level of frontline staff vacancies.
	To enable it to manage the increasing pressure on the service, the Trust has launched a major national and international recruitment campaign to ensure it fills the vacancies that it is currently carrying.

Anguilla

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to provide assistance to Anguilla to improve air access in order to enhance its ability to develop the local economy through tourism.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: We are working with the Government of Anguilla to identify what UK funded technical assistance can best help to boost its economic development, including improvements in access to Anguilla. The British Government is committed to supporting the economic sustainability and development of the Overseas Territories.

Anguilla

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the scale of corruption in Anguilla; and what measures they intend to take to counter it.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The British Government has responsibility for the overall good governance of all the Overseas Territories (OTs) and believes that that the same basic standards of good governance should apply in the OTs as in the UK. It is important that public concerns about corruption are addressed. Operational responsibility for investigating allegations of corruption lies with the Royal Anguillan Police Force, which reports directly to the Governor. The Home Office is currently working with the Government of Anguilla to extend the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime to Anguilla. Combating bribery, money laundering and corruption of public officials is a key component.

Anguilla

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they have given to Anguilla in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: In the last five years, the Government has provided specific financial assistance to Anguilla in the following areas:
	2014/15 (to date)—£65,000 from delegated and Jubilee funding (funds administered by the Governor’s office, to support local projects, technical exchanges and secondments). £114,000 for police training and equipment;
	2013/14—£3m grant provided for capital development projects, including the renovation of local primary schools, a new fire station, road improvements and the purchase of new police vehicles. £100,000 from delegated and Jubilee funding;
	2012/13—£120,000 for the establishment of a vocational training centre at the Anguilla Community College, £300,000 for a prison expansion project and £35,000 for support on public expenditure management.
	2011/12—£129,000 to assist the Government of Anguilla to identify expenditure savings in the civil service and the health sector and to develop and implement tax reforms. £60,000 from delegated funding; and
	2010/11—£55,000 for a review of Anguilla’s public financial management. £25,000 from delegated funding.
	In addition, Anguilla benefits from ongoing UK technical support and assistance across the full range of policy areas, including regular Royal Navy deployments to the region, eligibility for Chevening scholarships, investment in capacity building for the police, prison and probation services and disaster management (approximately £98,000 over the last five years), environmental management support (including a share of the £713,690 Darwin Plus environmental management programme) and ad hoc support on financial management, renewable energy, education, early childhood development, health and domestic violence. Anguilla also receives development assistance from the EU and the Caribbean Development Bank, to which the UK is a major contributor.

Antibiotics

Baroness Manzoor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the annual progress report on the United Kingdom 5 Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy, how they plan to handle newly launched or soon-to-be launched antibiotics in a way that is compatible with the broad goals of the strategy.

Earl Howe: The Department is in the process of convening a group involving industry to explore how to address interim issues pending the conclusion of the review on antimicrobial resistance. Among these will be how to treat new antimicrobial products which are close to launch.

Antibiotics

Baroness Manzoor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered excluding newly launched antibiotics or soon-to-be launched antibiotics from the payment-by-results tariff.

Earl Howe: All known new drugs, which include new antibiotics, coming onto the United Kingdom market are considered as part of the process for determining whether they can be added to the list of high cost drugs that are reimbursed outside of national prices. This process takes a forward look for drugs likely to come onto the market when the National Tariff comes into effect, to ensure that the high cost list remains clinically relevant.
	We are commissioning an external review of the pathways for the development, assessment, and adoption of innovative medicines and medical technology. This review will consider how to speed up access for National Health Service patients to cost-effective new diagnostics, medicines and devices.

Antibiotics

Baroness Manzoor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what alternative pricing and reimbursement arrangements they are considering for newly launched or soon-to-be launched antibiotics in advance of the independent antimicrobial resistance review.

Earl Howe: The Department is in the process of convening a group involving industry to explore how to address interim issues pending the conclusion of the review on antimicrobial resistance. Among these will be the pricing and reimbursement of new antimicrobial products.

Antibiotics

Baroness Manzoor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, as part of the triennial review into the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and ongoing discussions relating to the institute's appraisal methods, they will consider creating modifiers or a special priority designation for qualified antibiotics.

Earl Howe: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Triennial Review was announced on 30 October 2014 to review the form and functions of NICE. NICE’s methods for the development of its technology appraisal guidance are outside the scope of the review.
	As an independent body, NICE is responsible for the methods it uses to develop its technology appraisal guidance and we have no plans at present to ask NICE to create modifiers or a special priority designation for qualified antibiotics. We continue to keep NICE’s work programme under review.
	We are commissioning an external review of the pathways for the development, assessment, and adoption of innovative medicines and medical technology. This review will consider how to speed up access for National Health Service patients to cost-effective new diagnostics, medicines and devices.
	The development of new antimicrobial drugs is also the subject of the review on antimicrobial resistance announced on 2 July by the Prime Minister. The review will explore what actions may be taken by governments around the world to stimulate investment in new antimicrobial drugs. The review will present its initial findings during 2015 with a final report and recommendations to follow during 2016.

Antisubmarine Warfare

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the United Kingdom’s anti-submarine detection capability is adequate to meet current threat levels.

Lord Astor of Hever: We have acknowledged that we have a maritime surveillance capability gap following the decision not to bring the Nimrod MRA4 into service. However we have also made it clear that it is one that we have chosen to accept and to mitigate through employment of other assets, as well as through co-operation with allies, who have deployed Maritime Patrol Aircraft on several occasions.
	A decision on whether to take further steps to mitigate the gap is planned as part of the next Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Armed Forces: Lagos

Lord Clark of Windermere: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they provide to Members of Parliament regarding the use of the United Kingdom Armed Forces logos in political literature.

Lord Astor of Hever: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not permit the use of United Kingdom Armed Forces logos in political literature. Information on MOD copyright licensing is attached and is available on the Department's website at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/311992/20140515_MOD_Copyright_Licensing_Information.pdf
	This Answer included the following attachment
	MOD Copyright Licensing Information (20140515_MOD_Copyright_Licensing_Information.pdf)

Asylum

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what improvements to the procedures of the Detained Fast Track for the better protection of applicants they have introduced since the decision of the High Court on 9 July 2014.

Lord Bates: In July 2014 the High Court upheld the principle of a Detained Fast Track (DFT) process as lawful. However, the Court found that the DFT process as operated carried an “unacceptable risk of unfairness” with regard to vulnerable applicants within the system. This was primarily because they were not guaranteed access to lawyers sufficiently soon after induction to enable instructions to be taken and advice to be given before the substantive interview. The Home Office took immediate steps to address this and other criticisms of the process.
	Screening:
	The judgment observed that the current asylum screening process did not do enough to identify and exclude from DFT vulnerable people or those with particularly complex claims. We have since changed the questions asked in the screening interview to help address this issue and there is an ongoing review of the screening process that incorporates discussions and input from external stakeholders.
	Detention Centre Rule 35:
	Detention Centre Rule 35 requires doctors in immigration removal centres to issue reports to Home Office officials with responsibility for authorising, maintaining and reviewing detention, if they have concerns about issues of particular vulnerability. Those issues include particular ill-health, suicide risk and concerns that the detainee may have been a victim of torture. Whilst acknowledging that a Rule 35 report issued by a medical practitioner relating to possible torture concerns may sometimes reflect only the detainee’s own claim and so not require automatic release, the judgment nonetheless concluded that the evidence did not show the process to operate as well as it should.
	Releases can and do result from Rule 35 reports and a recent sampling exercise has reconfirmed this position and identified some other issues for improvement. We have already taken steps to improve awareness of existing process requirements. We have consulted external partners on improvements to the operation of Rule 35 and further measures will introduced in the coming months to ensure that the process operates as effectively as possible.
	Access to legal representation:
	The judgment stated that in some cases, legal representatives were allocated to asylum applicants too late in the DFT process, which was considered significant enough to carry a high risk of unfairness for those who may be vulnerable. On the 14th and 15th of July the Home Office implemented new arrangements, that ensured that legal representatives were are allocated to asylum claimants that require them (around 50% of
	asylum claimants arrive with a lawyer already) on the day of induction to DFT or, where that is not possible, no later than 2 working days after induction. In addition we are now ensuring that there are 4 clear working days between the allocation of a lawyer and the asylum interview except where the asylum claimant and lawyer advise that they want an earlier interview.

Asylum: Homosexuality

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report in The Guardian on 8 February, what steps they are taking to ensure that homosexual asylum seekers are not asked “degrading” questions related to their sexuality.

Lord Bates: It has never been the policy of the Government to allow its asylum case owners to ask “degrading” questions. As was indicated to the Noble Lord in the Government’s response to his previous question on this issue (15 December 2014: WA2), existing guidance, which was drawn up in consultation with Stonewall, the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, is clear that questions of a sexually explicit nature should not usually be asked. The Government is currently revising its guidance further and will be making it clear that there are no circumstances in which such questions should be asked.
	Since February 2014, all interviews and decisions in sexuality-based claims have been subject to a 'second pair of eyes' check by a senior caseworker who provides constructive feedback to the decision maker. Senior caseworkers also provide ad hoc support and guidance to decision makers during the course of the asylum process.

Asylum: Syria

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Syrian refugees are expected to resettle in the United Kingdom via the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme in the next three months, the next six months and the next 12 months.

Lord Bates: The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation (VPR) scheme is designed to complement our humanitarian aid efforts and is based on need rather than fulfilling a quota; however, we have said we expect the scheme to help several hundred people over three years, and we remain on track to deliver that commitment.
	This is in addition to our consideration of asylum claims lodged in the UK under our normal rules. Since the crisis began, we have given sanctuary to more than 3,400 Syrian nationals and their dependants. In addition,
	the UK has been at the forefront of the international response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, having pledged £700m, making us the second largest bilateral donor.
	We strongly believe that we should continue to focus on aid rather than resettlement as the best way for the UK to maximise our impact, and we therefore have no current plans to expand the VPR scheme.

Autism

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions have been held with NHS England about the formulation of the draft statutory guidance implementing the adult autism strategy in the light of the current consultation.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage health and wellbeing boards to follow the current statutory guidance implementing the adult autism strategy; and what plans there are to encourage them to do so when new statutory guidance is published.

Earl Howe: The Department and NHS England have discussed the draft statutory guidance implementing the adult autism strategy. NHS England is a partner in the Autism Strategy and a member of the Autism Programme Board and has been involved in producing the guidance.
	Information about the requirements of the strategy has been disseminated through National Health Service bulletins to clinical commissioning groups and area teams to support Health and Wellbeing Boards to follow guidance. The Autism Self-Assessment Framework enables Health and Wellbeing Boards to benchmark their services against other areas.

Azerbaijan

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made representations to the Government of Azerbaijan with regard to the alleged forcible closure of mosques there, including the Fatima Zahra mosque in Baku, and mosques in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The UK is aware of concerns about mosque closures in Azerbaijan. We have not made representations on these specific cases. However, we continue to monitor the situation, and we raise human rights concerns with the Government of Azerbaijan at every appropriate opportunity.

Bahrain

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the total cost of establishing a new naval base in Bahrain.

Lord Astor of Hever: Negotiations to further enhance and improve the existing facilities with the Government of Bahrain are ongoing.

Bank Cards

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of retailers who are seeking to pass on the merchant charges to their customers when they pay for goods or services using debit or credit cards.

Lord Deighton: The Government is clear that merchants should not pass on a charge to a customer that is higher than the cost that merchants themselves incur for processing that payment.
	This is why the Government brought in the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012 in April 2013, which state that if a business wishes to charge a customer for using their credit or debit card, then that surcharge must not be higher than the cost the business has to pay for processing that method of payment.

Banks: Pay

Baroness Williams of Crosby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to strip traders who disregard banking standards, such as by engaging in insider trading, of any bonuses they may have received.

Lord Deighton: Senior and highly paid bank employees in the UK are subject to the Remuneration Code, which has been strengthened under this Government. The Code requires that at least 40% of any bonuses they receive must be deferred over at least three years, and can be reduced or cancelled if poor performance or conduct issues subsequently come to light.
	Furthermore, from 2015 the Prudential Regulation Authority is requiring that all variable pay for senior bankers can be clawed back for seven years following award by employers where there is evidence of employee misbehaviour or a material failure of risk management.

BBC World Service: North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the Chairman of the BBC and the Director General of BBC World Service about investigating ways in which BBC World Service radio transmissions might be commenced on the Korean Peninsula; and what assessment they have made of what the United Nations Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations in North Korea has described as the importance of breaking the information blockade which surrounds North Korea.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The World Service is editorially, managerially and operationally independent of government, which means that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not seek to steer operational decisions. I am aware, though, that the World Service have examined the case for a Korean language service in detail. They have concluded that it is not currently possible to provide a meaningful, impactful and cost-effective service. The BBC Trust has responsibility for setting the World Service’s budget. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Philip Hammond), must, however, agree the objectives, priorities and targets for the World Service, as well as the languages in which the World Service is provided, on the basis of proposals made by the BBC.
	The UK does not disagree with the interpretation of the UN Commission of Inquiry, paragraph 1224, which suggests more support for the work of civil society organisations to improve the human rights situation, document violations and broadcast accessible information. However, it is clear that different parties will take different roles on individual recommendations.
	The UK has previously funded projects related to the documentation of violations. These projects have been implemented by civil society organisations based in South Korea. We remain open to funding similar projects in the future. We have also worked with international non-governmental organisations, as well as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) Korean Federation for the Protection of the Disabled (KFPD), to improve the treatment of disabled people in the DPRK. This complements wider international efforts, like those of the US, which does support broadcasts into the DPRK.

Blue Badge Scheme

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are aware of concerns regarding the recently published guidance for local authorities in England on the Blue Badge Scheme.

Baroness Kramer: We recently revised the guidance to local authorities in England making it clear that any permanent and substantial disability which causes inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking may qualify for a badge regardless of the particular condition, and that each application should be considered against this criterion. We have not been made aware of any concerns with the new guidance.

Boko Haram

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the main source of Boko Haram's weapons; and what is their assessment of the strategy adopted by the government of Nigeria in respect of that organisation.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Reliable assessments of the source of Boko Haram’s weapons are not available. However, reports indicate that Boko Haram obtain weapons from a variety of sources, including illegal arms smuggling and theft from the Nigerian military.
	On the military side, the Government of Nigeria has increased the number of forces in the North East. However, tackling the threat of Boko Haram requires a comprehensive response, including economic development, led by the Nigerian government, with the support of its neighbours and other international partners.
	The UK’s package of support includes training and advice to Nigerian military units, deployed against Boko Haram; support to the Nigerian government in bringing increased development and prosperity to the North East; and a commitment to draw one million more children into education in Northern Nigeria by 2020.

British Council

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to raise awareness of the work of the British Council, and the Erasmus+ scheme.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The National Agency (a consortium of the British Council and Ecorys UK) deliver the Erasmus+ programme in the UK. The National Agency has a communications team that is dedicated to raising awareness of the Erasmus+ programme. The UK Government does not duplicate this work.

British Nationality: Assessments

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people took the Life in the United Kingdom citizenship test in each month from January 2013 until November 2014 inclusive.

Lord Bates: Information is not published in this format. However, statistics relating to the number of Life in the UK tests taken are already published quarterly on the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-and-permanent-migration-data-november-2014
	Table LUK1 refers, which provides data up to and including September 2014. Data relating to October and November 2014 will be published in due course.

British Nationality: Assessments

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have taken the Life in the United Kingdom citizenship test for a second time after passing the test previously because they lost the certificate confirming they had passed.

Lord Bates: No statistical information is available showing how many people have re-taken the test for this purpose. It would not be necessary to re-take the test in these circumstances as each test result is transferred to Home Office systems for reference purposes and would therefore be available to the caseworker considering any subsequent application for settlement or citizenship.

British Nationality: Assessments

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Life in the United Kingdom citizenship tests were taken and were passed in Welsh and in Scots Gaelic in each year since 2005.

Lord Bates: No Life in the UK tests have been taken in Welsh since 2005. One test was taken in Scots Gaelic in 2010.

British Nationality: Assessments

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why in England applicants have been unable to sit the Life in the United Kingdom citizenship test in Welsh or Scots Gaelic since 2013.

Lord Bates: We introduced a new version of the Life in the UK test in 2013, but there was no change to our policy on offering the test in Welsh or Scottish Gaelic. Demand for tests in these languages is very low and we have no record of any requests outside Wales or Scotland.

British Overseas Territories

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what rules govern the ability of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories to raise finance from the private sector and from international governments and organisations to fund infrastructure improvements.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Overseas territory constitutions and laws set clear responsibilities for public financial matters in each territory. Rules on public procurement in the Overseas Territories (OTs) are also set out in local legislation. In addition, the British Government and a number of OTs have agreed Fiscal Frameworks that establish prudent limits and robust definitions of public debt. They also establish key principles and procedures for public procurement. Fiscal Frameworks are in place with Anguilla, the Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

British Overseas Territories

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of unemployment and poverty levels in the Overseas Territories.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Overseas Territory governments have devolved powers for self government and are responsible for economic policy. However, the UK works to support them in partnership in line with the 2012 Government White Paper.
	Most of the UK Overseas Territories are defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as High Income Territories. But the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita levels in St Helena (including Tristan da Cunha) and Montserrat mean they are defined as Upper Middle Income Territories, and therefore eligible for Official Development Assistance under OECD rules. St Helena (including Tristan da Cunha) with a population of around 4261, Montserrat with a population of around 4922, plus Pitcairn (whose population of around 50 means it is too small to feature in the OECD rankings) are in receipt of assistance from the Department for International Development.
	Data on unemployment and per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP), for the inhabited UK Overseas Territories are in the attached table. This information comes from a variety of public sources.
	This Answer included the following attachment: Overseas Territories GDP per capita (3655 table.docx)

Burma

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of illicit jade and drug trading in Burma and the actions of the government of that country in respect of tackling the trade of such goods into China.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Burma remains the main source of drugs in the region and is the world’s second largest producer of opium poppy, which along with illicit trade of jade, provides significant sources of income that have helped fuel Burma’s internal conflicts. The production of methamphetamine is also a growing concern, with the majority of the production in Burma exported to neighbouring countries.
	We are aware of plans for improved cooperation between the nations of the Mekong region, including Burma, to tackle the illicit drugs trade. This includes the recent establishment of a regional centre in Chiang Mai, Thailand, staffed by drugs enforcement officers from Burma, Thailand, China and Laos. The UK welcomes these efforts and encourages coordination with the UN Office of Drugs and Crime.

Cannabis

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy in regard to the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

Earl Howe: No assessment has been made by the Government of the potential medicinal benefits of cannabis. Cannabis in its raw form is not authorised as a medicinal product in the United Kingdom.
	Sativex Oromucosal Spray, which contains extracts of cannabis (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol as the major active components), is the only medicine produced from the cannabis plant that is approved as a medicinal product in the UK. Sativex is licensed for use in treating spasticity in multiple sclerosis and was approved on 16 June 2010.
	Sativex is being investigated in a small number of clinical trials in the UK for the treatment of a range of conditions including cancer related pain, spasticity due to multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy, ulcerative colitis and impacted tooth extraction. Other clinical trials – using different compounds (cannabinoids) are also ongoing for different conditions.
	The Government has not turned down any application for cannabis to be used as a medicine in the UK, but no application to obtain a licence for cannabis or a related product other than Sativex has been made to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

Lord Lipsey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what adjustment they intend to make to the £23,250 non-housing capital asset limit for the deferred payment scheme when the capital limit for means-tested care benefits rises from £23,250 to £118,000 in April 2016.

Earl Howe: We intend to raise the capital-related eligibility criterion, which currently requires a person to have less than £23,250 in non-housing assets, to £27,000 from April 2016. This mirrors the increased upper capital limit which will apply when a person’s property is disregarded from April 2016.
	Local authorities will retain discretionary powers to offer deferred payments to people who do not meet the eligibility criteria but might otherwise benefit.

Central African Republic

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made by the new International Criminal Court investigation into the situation in the Central African Republic.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The UK notes the International Criminal Court Prosecutor’s decision to open a second investigation into the situation in the Central African Republic with respect to alleged crimes committed since 2012. Her Office’s investigation is ongoing and the Prosecutor will decide whether to bring any charges based on its findings. The Prosecutor released a statement on 24 September which sets out the Prosecutor’s belief that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both the Séléka and the anti-balaka groups have committed crimes against humanity and war crimes.

China

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what help they are providing to Uighur refugees.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain concerned by all restrictions placed on ethnic minority rights in China, including in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. We are also troubled by reports which suggest that large numbers of Chinese Uyghurs are arriving in neighbouring South East Asian countries and claiming asylum. We regularly raise our concerns with Chinese officials, such as during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in May 2014, and with officials from neighbouring countries. We highlight our broader concerns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy.

Clinical Priorities Advisory Group

Baroness Gale: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with NHS England regarding delays in the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group's consideration
	of specialised treatments and the impact on people who cannot currently access treatments recommended by their clinician.

Earl Howe: NHS England has advised that a meeting of its Clinical Priorities Advisory Group has been delayed whilst further work is undertaken to refine the overall decision making process. NHS England remains committed however, to ensuring that a timely decision is made about a range of investment proposals that have been put forward for the 2015-16 financial year.
	At the November public meeting of the NHS England Board it was agreed to create a new Specialised Services Committee of the Board, and as a consequence to review the current governance arrangements covering this aspect of NHS England’s work.
	It was decided to undertake a public consultation on the future approach to prioritising new treatments and interventions within specialised commissioning. This was considered at the December NHS England Board meeting and it was agreed that a 90 day consultation will be carried out in early 2015.
	NHS England has advised that the short postponement of the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group meeting will have no impact on the decision making timetable for commissioning NHS services from April 2015 onwards.
	Existing treatments will continue to be commissioned in the meantime, ensuring that support for patients is maintained.

Clinical Priorities Advisory Group

Baroness Howells of St Davids: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group operates in a transparent manner.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the work of the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group is communicated to the public.

Earl Howe: NHS England has advised that discussion at executive level has taken place. A consultation will be launched early in the new year on how NHS England carries out its considerations on the commissioning of new treatments and interventions as part of a prioritisation process. Once the proposals have been consulted on and a final decision has been published regarding the NHS England operations and decision making process to be used, the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) will operate under these terms.
	NHS England has advised that the work of CPAG has been communicated through various public meetings and presentations. Current terms of reference are on the NHS England website. Any CPAG recommendations which are approved by the Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group are published on the NHS England website. A newsletter is also circulated to patient groups and relevant networks.

Coastal Areas: Access

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress is being made on creating the coastal path in England.

Lord De Mauley: We are making good progress with coastal access. It has been implemented on four stretches of the coast in Cumbria, Dorset and Norfolk, and in Durham, Hartlepool and Sunderland. We have also announced that additional funding will be made available to complete the coastal path around England by 2020.

Congenital Abnormalities

Lord Rooker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many births have been affected by neural tube defects in the past five years.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many pregnancies have been terminated in the past five years because of neural tube defects.

Earl Howe: Based on HSA4 notifications to the Chief Medical Officer, the numbers of abortions for neural tube defect reported as the primary medical condition of the fetus, residents of England and Wales, 2009 to 2013 are:
	
		
			 2013 420 
			 2012 390 
			 2011 364 
			 2010 338 
			 2009 299 
		
	
	ICD_10 Codes included are: Q00 Anencephaly, Q01 Encephalocele and Q05 Spina Bifida.
	The data below has been captured from EUROCAT, a European network of population-based registries for the epidemiologic surveillance of congenital anomalies. The data covers approximately 30% of the population. The table below represents data from seven registries that are based in England.
	Number of cases of neural tube defects, for the following registries:
	East Midlands and South Yorkshire (UK),
	Merseyside and Cheshire (UK),
	North West Thames (UK),
	Northern England (UK),
	South West England (UK),
	Thames Valley (UK),
	Wessex (UK),
	
		
			 From 2008-2012 
			 Number of cases 
			 Registries Anomaly2 Year Live Births Fetal Deaths/Still Births from Fetal Anomaly Total 
			   2008 47 4 51 
			   2009 47 9 56 
			   2010 52 8 60 
			   2011 40 11 51 
			   2012 46 14 60 
			 Total1 Neural Tube Defects 2008 - 2012 232 46 278 
		
	
	Notes:
	1
	Data is not available for the following years/registries:
	UK Merseyside and Cheshire (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
	North West Thames (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
	The years data is available for each registry and can be found here:
	http://www.eurocat-network.eu/content/EUROCAT-Population-Table-I.pdf
	2
	The number of cases in each congenital anomaly subgroup is not the number of isolated cases. In particular the outcome, such as fetal deaths for seemingly less severe anomalies, may have occurred as the case had other more severe major anomalies.
	Source:
	EUROCAT Website Database:
	http://www.eurocat-network.eu/ACCESSPREVALENCE DATA/PrevalenceTables
	(data uploaded 24 November 2014)

Construction: Recruitment

Lord Storey: to ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the levels of employment in the construction industry, what plans they have to enhance opportunities for school leavers intending to enter the construction industry.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government is committed to driving up apprenticeship opportunities for young people in the construction sector. New industry designed apprenticeships and employer led training will give construction firms, both large and small, the power to develop the workforce they need. Significant funding and support is available to employers through the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE), through support from the Construction Industry Training Board, and from April 2016 employers will no longer be required to pay employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under the age of 25 on earnings up to the upper earnings limit.
	On 10 December the Government announced the creation of a new careers and enterprise company for schools to transform the provision of careers education
	and advice for young people and inspire them about the opportunities offered by the world of work. Separately, the Construction Leadership Council is examining the image of the sector and looking at the barriers to providing young people with work experience and developing an understanding of the opportunities in the construction industry.

Convention on the Control and Marking of Articles of Precious Metals

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Hallmarking Convention in protecting the British precious metals industry.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The International Hallmarking Convention provides the opportunity for the British precious metals industry to have precious metal articles hallmarked with the Convention hallmarks by the UK Assay Offices. This allows British business direct access to all other Convention country markets. No formal assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Convention in protecting British industry. However, 37% of all UK hallmarked articles in 2013 were Convention marked and these represent 60% of the total of all Convention hallmarked articles.

Co-operatives

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration have they given to moving the legislative function for co-operative and community benefit societies from HM Treasury to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the quality of and ease of access to official data on co-operatives.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the legal and regulatory frameworks in supporting innovation in co-operative capital.

Lord Deighton: The Government does not hold official statistics on co-operatives. Relevant data is held by the Financial Conduct Authority, some of which they publish online.
	The legislative function for co-operative and community benefit societies resides with HM Treasury; there are currently no plans to change this.
	The Financial Conduct Authority is the registrar for co-operatives and community benefit societies. It has no regulatory functions over societies which are not also authorised to carry out financial services activities.
	The Government is content that the legislative framework in place supports innovation in co-operative capital. The government has implemented a package of measures this year to strengthen the co-operative sector. This includes increasing the amount of withdrawable share capital an individual can invest in a society from £20,000 to £100,000, making it easier and cheaper for co-operative societies to raise capital.

Corporation Tax: Northern Ireland

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to publish impact and risk assessments on the devolution of corporation tax to Northern Ireland.

Lord Deighton: At Autumn Statement, the Government set out that it recognises the strongly held arguments for devolving corporation tax rate-setting powers to Northern Ireland, including its land border with the very low corporation tax environment in the Republic of Ireland, and the shared goal of the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive of rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy and securing the peaceful economic progress made since the Good Friday Agreement. Work by HMRC and HM Treasury has concluded that this proposal could be implemented provided that the Northern Ireland Executive is able to manage the financial implications. If this legislation is introduced, a Tax Information and Impact Note will be published alongside the Bill as part of the usual legislative process.

Counterfeit Manufacturing

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the performance of Trading Standards in the United Kingdom in securing convictions for (1) the production, (2) the sale, (3) the distribution, and (4) the importation of counterfeit goods.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Trading Standards services, including tackling counterfeit goods, are provided by local authorities. Local authorities operate independently from central government and are accountable to their own electorate, allocating resources according to local priorities.
	Local authorities do not report regulatory outputs to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Therefore, the Department does not hold this information.

Credit Rating

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had talks with the credit rating agencies with a view to restoring the United Kingdom’s AAA credit rating.

Lord Deighton: The current European credit rating regulation 1060/2009 stipulates that rating agencies monitor and review credit ratings on an ongoing basis and at least annually. Furthermore, the regulation states that:
	“The credit rating agency shall inform the rated entity at least 12 hours before publication of the credit rating and of the principal grounds on which the rating is based in order to give the entity an opportunity to draw attention of the credit rating agency to any factual errors”.
	The Government’s long term economic plan has secured the UK’s strong credit rating, which has contributed to lower borrowing costs and helped protect frontline services. In June 2014, Standard and Poor’s (S&P) revised the outlook on their UK AAA rating to stable, from negative. The key driver cited by S&P was ‘Amid further progress in consolidating public finances, the UK’s economic recovery is broadening.’
	S&P have assigned the UK sovereign the top triple AAA rating since they first published a UK rating in 1978. Moody’s and Fitch have assigned the UK the second highest rating Aa1 and AA+ respectively, with a stable outlook.

Curriculum

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Nash on 27 November (HL3031), whether they consider that parents who learn that their children are being taught by a school that young earth creationism or intelligent design is scientifically valid are entitled to regard it as evidence that that school is not offering a broad and balanced curriculum under the terms of section 78 of the Education Act 2002.

Lord Nash: Maintained schools are obliged to comply with section 78 of the Education Act 2002. Maintained schools that teach young earth creationism or intelligent design as valid science undermine the teaching of established evolutionary theory and are therefore not complying with the national curriculum or providing a broad and balanced curriculum as required by section 78. If parents have concerns about this they should raise the matter through the school’s complaints procedure in the first instance.

Cycling England

Baroness Seccombe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the annual budget of Cycling England in 2010/11 or the last financial year for which figures are available.

Lord Deighton: The annual budget provided by the Department for Transport to Cycling England in 2010-11 was £63 million.

Cycling: Training

Baroness Seccombe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the annual Bikeability budget for the current and next financial year.

Lord Deighton: The annual budget set by the Department for Transport for its Bikeability programme is: £11.7 million in 2014-15; and £11.9m in 2015-16.

Defence: Procurement

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which platforms they expect will be able to fill any capability gaps at an acceptable level of technical risk following the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review; and how long they expect it will take to integrate United Kingdom complex weapons into the solutions.

Lord Astor of Hever: The information requested is not available.

Developing Countries: Trade

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that trade is understood to have a role in facilitating the post–2015 development objectives.

Baroness Northover: Poverty eradication is at the forefront of the post-2015 development agenda and we propose to tackle this by promoting inclusive economic growth, social development and tackling climate change, in a way that leaves no one behind. Trade plays a central role in achieving the ambitious agenda and the UK will work to ensure that there are strong trade-related targets in the final post-2015 framework.

Diabetes

Lord Morris of Aberavon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps National Health Service clinical commissioning groups have taken to investigate the reported progress of recent research in the United States regarding the development of an artificial pancreas; whether there have been any interchanges between government-funded researchers in the United Kingdom and the United States; and what assessment they have made of the level of resources available to United Kingdom researchers in that area.

Earl Howe: Artificial pancreas research continues to progress in the United States, the United Kingdom and worldwide. Clinical studies have shown that artificial pancreas systems can improve blood sugar control, especially overnight, and reduce the number of episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). Systems have been successfully used at home for the overnight period in adolescents and young adults but significant challenges arise from 24 hour use that remain to be solved, particularly around exercise, food and physical activity.
	Artificial pancreas device systems and technologies could be made available through National Health Service commissioning once they have gone through the appropriate regulatory process to demonstrate safety and efficacy.
	UK research in this field is supported by funders including the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the Wellcome Trust, Diabetes UK and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), in collaboration with industry. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including artificial pancreas systems. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
	The NIHR biomedical research centres at Cambridge and Imperial College London are making a significant contribution to international research in this field. Dr Roman Hovorka, University of Cambridge, and Dr Nick Oliver, Imperial College London are members of the Artificial Pancreas Consortium organised by the JDRF. This consortium meets annually with monthly conference calls providing a forum for discussions between researchers from the US, UK and Australia. There have been no formal interchanges between government-funded researchers in the UK and the US.

Directors: Equal Opportunities

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they have in place to monitor the diversity of (1) Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, and (2) LGBT, persons serving as directors of public companies.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Under the Companies Act listed companies are required to report on diversity, including gender, in their annual reports. Company reporting is overseen by the Financial Reporting Council and companies are required to follow the UK Corporate Governance Code on a comply-or-explain basis.
	In September 2014 FRC published an updated Code, including changes to the preface reinforcing the importance of diversity in all its forms on the board. This includes, but is not limited to, gender and race.
	At the launch on 15th December 2014, the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills welcomed a new private sector-led campaign which will look to address the lack of ethnic diversity in boardrooms, based in part on research that indicates the proportion of Black & Ethnic Minority people in leadership positions is lower than expected compared to the wider population (estimated at 5.1% and 14% respectively). Measuring progress is a key part of the campaign.

Diseases

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the process by which NHS England makes decisions on whether to support the funding of treatments for rare diseases.

Earl Howe: NHS England specialised commissioning is supported by devolved clinical leadership. Specialised services are grouped into five programmes of care:
	- Internal Medicine;- Cancer and Blood;- Mental Health;- Trauma; and- Women and Children.
	Within the programmes of care, 75 Clinical Reference Groups (CRGs) are responsible for preparing national specialised service-level strategy and developing specialised service contract products such as specifications and policies.
	In addition, the Specialised Commissioning Medicines Optimisation CRG works across all 75 service-specific CRGs.
	The Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) advises the Specialised Commissioning Committee on commissioning of new treatments for rare diseases in England. CPAG’s membership includes clinicians, patient representatives and commissioners of health services. Recommendations are made by following the principles and criteria of a decision-making framework.
	The Specialised Commissioning Committee advises the NHS England Board on development and implementation of strategy for specialised commissioning, agreeing specialised commissioning priorities and work programmes, and receiving assurance that these are delivered.
	The NHS England Board recommendations from the Specialised Commissioning Committee and deliberates accordingly.
	This Written Answer contains the following attachment: CPAG Decision-Making Framework (CPAG Decision- Making Framework.pdf)

Diseases

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria have been established by NHS England to guide the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group in its evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of treatments for rare diseases.

Earl Howe: The Rare Diseases Advisory Group considers the evaluation of all treatments for rare diseases and advises the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG). The evidence base for treatments of rare diseases is often more limited than for more common conditions. Therefore, allowances are made for greater uncertainty. In some cases, formal evaluation of cost effectiveness may not be possible or helpful.
	The decision making framework published on the NHS England website guides CPAG in assessing and making a commissioning position recommendation.
	This Written Answer contained the following attachment: CPAG Decision-Making Framework (CPAG Decision-Making Framework.pdf)

Diseases

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what budget NHS England has established to fund treatments for rare diseases.

Earl Howe: NHS England holds a budget of £13 billion with which to commission 145 specialised services. NHS England does not separately identify the costs of the treatment of rare diseases because many of the specialised services – for example neurosciences – include treatments for patients who have both rare diseases and traumatic injuries.

Diseases

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimates they have made of the potential cost of treatments for rare diseases over the next five years.

Earl Howe: No forecast by NHS England of aggregate future expenditure on rare diseases is available.
	NHS England uses a number of methodologies to estimate the potential costs of any new treatment for rare diseases. This includes working with the horizon scanning team from the National Institute for Health Research as well as with industry representatives and other stakeholders such as patient groups and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Diseases

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the process by which NHS England makes decisions on whether to support the funding of (1) National
	Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) highly specialised technologies (HST) approved rare disease treatments, (2) non-NICE HST approved rare disease treatments, and (3) rare disease treatments that are not selected for HST evaluation.

Earl Howe: The Rare Diseases Advisory Group (RDAG) was established in March 2014 by NHS England. It was set up to provide NHS England and the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with consistent advice on developing and implementing the strategy for rare diseases and highly specialised services. The RDAG will also provide advice to NHS England and the devolved administrations to enable it to respond to consultations issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Highly Specialised Technology Programme and to provide advice to NHS England and the devolved administrations on the most appropriate services to deliver those highly specialised technologies that receive a positive technology appraisal determination from NICE.
	At the three meetings held by RDAG in 2014 the group has addressed proposals for some new treatments to be considered for provision in the National Health Service. It has also considered a number of services, currently provided within the NHS, that meet the criteria of Highly Specialised Services (HSS) and should be considered as highly specialised and re-configured to be provided in expert centres. The group has also considered a number of service specifications for HSS. Recommendations have been made to the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group based on these decisions. Any recommendations agreed by NHS England will go out for a full three month consultation.

Diseases

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what prioritisation criteria are used by NHS England to commission approved treatments for rare diseases.

Earl Howe: The Rare Diseases Advisory Group (RDAG) makes recommendations to NHS England and the devolved administrations of NHS Scotland, NHS Wales and NHS Northern Ireland on issues related to highly specialised services (HSS). These services are provided to a smaller number of patients compared to specialised services; usually no more than 500 patients per year. For this reason they are typically best delivered nationally through a very small number of centres of excellence.
	Examples of highly specialised services include liver transplant services, enzyme replacement therapy, and secure forensic mental health services for young people. It is also the role of RDAG to have an overview, across the four countries of the United Kingdom, on the development and implementation of the strategy for rare diseases and HSS.
	The Group makes recommendations to the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group (CPAG) about how highly specialised services should be commissioned. This includes recommending which expert centres should be nominated (or should no longer be nominated) to deliver highly specialised services.
	The decision making framework published on the NHS England website guides CPAG in assessing and making a commissioning decision recommendation. A copy of the CPAG Decision-Making Framework is attached.
	However, NHS England is now reviewing the appropriate approach to prioritising new treatments and interventions within specialised commissioning. At the NHS England Board meeting held on 17 December 2014 it was decided that a 90-day consultation will be carried out in early 2015 on the prioritisation framework and decision-making process that NHS England should use to make commissioning decisions on new treatments and interventions.
	This Answer included the following attachment: CPAG Decision Making Framework (CPAG Decision Making Framework.pdf)

Domestic Violence

Baroness Gale: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 25 November (HL Deb, col 772), when the national oversight group chaired by the Home Secretary will report its findings, to whom it will report, and whether its findings will be published.

Lord Bates: In response to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary's (HMIC’s)report (March 2014) which exposed significant failings in the police response to domestic violence and abuse, the Home Secretary has established a National Oversight Group, which she is chairing, to drive delivery against all of the recommendations of the HMIC review.
	To date, the Group has met three times. The Government has committed to publishing updates on the work of the National Oversight Group. The first report will be published shortly. A copy of the report will be placed in the libraries of both Houses.

Educational Exchanges

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans formally to recognise international high school exchanges.

Lord Nash: The Government recognises that school links and exchanges can provide valuable opportunities to learn about other countries and to improve language skills. It is, however, for individual schools to decide whether or not they wish to participate in such exchanges.
	For those who do, there are many opportunities available, for example through the British Council’s Connecting Classrooms programme, the Global Learning
	Programme, which is jointly funded by the Department for International Development and the British Council, and the EU’s Erasmus + programme. The British Council also offers an International School Award which enables schools to have their international work recognised.

Elizabeth Cross

Lord Morrow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on how many occasions the Queen Elizabeth Cross and Scroll has been posthumously awarded to former soldiers whose death was not the result of being killed in action.

Lord Astor of Hever: The number of instances where the Elizabeth Cross and Memorial Scroll has been awarded to the next of kin of Armed Forces personnel, whose death was not the result of being killed in action, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Embassies

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many foreign states and commonwealth countries have embassies, High Commissions or other diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: According to our records a total of 175 foreign States and Commonwealth countries have embassies, High Commissions or other diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom. Further information can be found on the “Foreign embassies in the UK” page on the Government website at: https:// www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-embassies-in-the-uk. Copies of the current lists of diplomatic missions and consular offices outside London are attached.
	This Answer included the following attachment: London Diplomatic List as at 17 December 2014 (London_Diplomatic_List_-November_2014.pdf)

Energy

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of local authorities setting up energy companies to provide cheaper energy to their residents.

Baroness Verma: This Government is keen to understand the re-emergence
	of local authorities as energy companies and the potential benefits to their residents. In order to tackle the barriers surrounding this we launched the UK’s first Community Energy Strategy in January 2014 and we take views from a Local Supply Working Group.
	Our Strategy recognises that local authorities are crucial to community energy activities and sets out how Government intends to help communities build strong and productive partnerships with the public sector. One of the commitments is to carry out a sector survey in 2016, including a local authority section.
	We welcome recent developments in local authority engagement in the energy sector, for example, Cheshire East Council is the first local authority to have entered into a partnership with Ovo Energy under their new ‘Communities’ tariff. It is too early to make an assessment of these developments as the details are still being finalised.
	In addition we expect to know the outcome early next year of the application by the Greater London Authority for a “Licence Lite”– if successful, the GLA will be the first authority to take advantage of Ofgem’s streamlined arrangements for supplying electricity.

Entry Clearances: Nepal

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to Written Answer by Lord Bates on 8 December (HL3326), whether the staff who actually carry out the application reviews for entry clearance applications made in Nepal are aware of that policy, and whether checks are carried out to ensure that is so.

Lord Bates: All visa applications are considered under the Immigration Rules. As the Immigration Rules do not state that there needs to be a demand for specific graduates in the students’ home country, the degree subject is not a consideration for the Entry Clearance Officer.
	Any student application refused under PBS Tier 4 of the Immigration Rules can be subject to an Administrative Review (AR). The AR is conducted by an official at a more senior grade than the original decision maker.

Eritrea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of refugees and displaced people who have left Eritrea over the past twelve months; what they consider to be the factors involved in their decision to leave; what they consider to be their primary destinations; and what is their assessment of future conditions in Eritrea.

Baroness Northover: We remain deeply concerned by the political situation in Eritrea; the UN estimates that around 200 migrants leave Eritrea daily, with Sudan and Ethiopia as their primary destinations. Those who choose to leave Eritrea do so for a variety of reasons, including a desire to avoid performing national service for an indeterminate length of time and to seek greater economic opportunity than currently available in Eritrea. Our Ambassador in Asmara regularly monitors events in Eritrea and works closely with the UNHCR, through whom we receive monthly updates on migration. The UK Government has made representations to the Government of Eritrea to improve its observance of human rights, and works with European partners on the implementation of the Eritrea Country Programme under the Eleventh European Development Fund to help provide greater economic growth and opportunities.

Eritrea

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether negotiations are taking place with the government of Eritrea about the number of refugees from that country coming to the European Union and, in particular, to the United Kingdom.

Lord Bates: There is an ongoing dialogue on migration related issues between representatives of the UK and Eritrean governments, including a recent meeting with my Hon. Friend, the Immigration and Security Minister (James Brokenshire)and the Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh on 27 November in Rome. This took place in the margins of a conference to launch the new European Union - African Union ‘Khartoum Process’.
	The UK is playing an active role in this initiative which is bringing together EU countries and those in the Horn of Africa, including Eritrea, to support dialogue and cooperation to tackle people smuggling and human trafficking in the region. More recently, there has been a visit to Eritrea by a joint delegation of senior Home Office and Foreign Office officials on 9-11 December to discuss a range of migration topics, including the current drivers of irregular migration and ways to mitigate it, asylum and returns, and potential areas for joint co-operation.

Eritrea

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether human rights issues will remain a firm condition for the granting of development aid to the Government of Eritrea.

Baroness Northover: DfID does not have a bilateral development programme in Eritrea, but makes a humanitarian contribution through UNICEF, until June 2015, for health, nutrition, water and sanitation.
	Across our humanitarian programmes we consider key human rights issues including issues of impartiality, protection, principles of do no harm, conflict sensitivity, access to vulnerable groups and the needs of women and girls. In countries where DfID does have, or is
	planning to have, bilateral development programmes, the extent of partner Governments’ commitment to respecting human rights and other international obligations is one of four Partnership Principles assessed by country offices. The Government has made representations to the Government of Eritrea to improve its observance of human rights, and works with European partners on the implementation of the Eritrea Country Programme under the Eleventh European Development Fund to help provide for greater economic growth and opportunity.

Eritrea

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether consideration has been given to changing European Union policies on Eritrea as part of an attempt to reduce the number of refugees from that country.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK remains concerned by increasing numbers of irregular migrants from Eritrea to Western Europe. The UK and EU partners will continue to work with Eritrea through the new EU - Horn of Africa Migration Route Initiative (‘Khartoum Process’) to advance cooperation on human trafficking and irregular migration.

EU Budget: Contributions

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their present projection of the United Kingdom's gross and net contributions to the European Union budget for the whole of the seven year budget agreement 2014–20.

Lord Deighton: The independent Office for Budget Responsibility is responsible for forecasting UK gross and net contributions to the EU Budget. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecasts can be found in Table 2.19 of its Economic and Fiscal Outlook supplementary and fiscal tables – December 2014.[1]
	[1]
	This table can be found at the following link:
	http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/economic-fiscal-outlook-december-2014/

European Arrest Warrants

Lord Wade of Chorlton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the European Arrest Warrant on the application of habeas corpus.

Lord Bates: Part 1 of the Extradition Act 2003 implemented the European Arrest Warrant. We are clear that the remedy of Habeas Corpus still exists in cases involving the European Arrest Warrant.
	The issue of Habeas Corpus was discussed during the passage of the Act through Parliament in 2003 and has been ruled on by the courts, with both making it clear that the remedy remains available in EAW cases.
	For example, Lord Justice Baker concluded in the matter of Nikonovs v Governor of Brixton Prison [2006] that “In my view the passages from Hansard that I have cited make the answer clear beyond a peradventure ... In my judgment the remedy is available”.

European Commission

Lord Willoughby de Broke: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the statement on 10 December by the President of the Court of Justice of the European Union that “The European Commission is more than ever a political body” is compatible with the Commission’s role as set out in the Maastricht Treaty.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Government is clear that the European Commission’s role is as set out in the relevant Treaties. Article 17 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) specifies that the European Commission’s role includes, inter alia, ensuring the application of the Treaties and overseeing the application of Union law under the control of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Article 17 of the TEU also provides that, in carrying out its responsibilities, the Commission shall be completely independent.

European Protection Orders

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to implement the European Protection Order (EU Directive 2011/99/EU) that requires member states to introduce procedures whereby the victims of domestic violence can get a non-molestation order from the courts in one member state which will then be automatically recognised in other member states.

Lord Faulks: EU Directive 2011/99/EU on the European Protection Order comes into force on 11 January 2015 and the Government plans to implement it by way of statutory instrument made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972, on the same day. At the same time, the Government will also implement the related EU Regulation on the mutual recognition of protection measures in civil matters, (606/3013) which comes into force on the same day.

European Union

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the electorate in a referendum on a new European Union treaty or an amendment to an existing treaty will include electors registered in Gibraltar.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Electors registered in Gibraltar vote in European Parliament elections and would vote in any referenda held on EU treaty change, whether the adoption of a new treaty or amendments to an existing treaty, where that would affect Gibraltar, as set out by the European Union Act 2011.

Exclusion Orders

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government , further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 15 December (HL3642), whether they consider the public advocacy of rape to be a ground for excluding a person from entering the United Kingdom.

Lord Bates: The Home Secretary has the power to personally exclude foreign nationals from the UK if the person’s presence in the UK is considered not to be conducive to the public good. The power to exclude is broad, but is normally used in circumstances involving national security, unacceptable behaviours, international relations/foreign policy, and serious organised crime.
	The unacceptable behaviours policy covers a list of non-exhaustive indicators, including where individuals express views which foment serious criminal activity or seek to provoke others to commit serious criminal acts.
	Exclusion decisions are very serious and no decision to exclude is taken lightly. These powers are only used when justified and based on all available evidence. These decisions are made according to the individual circumstances of each case.

Female Genital Mutilation

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are resourcing the provision of training and education in communities in the United Kingdom in which female genital mutilation is practised.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Long-term and systematic eradication of female genital mutilation in the UK will require practising communities to abandon the
	practice themselves. To keep girls safe we need to work directly with local people who know what will work in their areas.
	Faith has an important role to play. At the Girl Summit we launched declarations for faith leaders to sign against female genital mutilation and forced marriage. These have now been signed by over 350 leaders from all major faiths. These declarations make it clear that no religion condones the practice.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Government Equalities Office have also committed £270,000 to community projects to prevent female genital mutilation and other forms of so-called honour based violence. We recently announced the projects that successfully secured this funding. We will fund 17 community projects which include three organisations that will set up networks of community champions against female genital mutilation and forced marriage.
	Many of these projects will work with young people. Brave young women and men have been at the forefront of campaigning against female genital mutilation and their courage and determination inspire us all to do more. Videos of the projects can be found at http://www.thinglink.com/scene/597214845217013762.
	This funding is in addition to £100,000 committed by the Home Office to run a female genital mutilation community engagement initiative. The Home Office is funding 12 voluntary and community sector organisations to carry out community work to raise awareness of female genital mutilation amongst women already affected by this and young girls at-risk, as well as men in the community.
	On 5 December 2014 the Government also launched a new female genital mutilation unit to drive a step change in nationwide outreach on female genital mutilation with criminal justice partners, children's services, healthcare professionals and affected communities.
	The unit will deliver outreach support to local areas to assist them in developing their local response to tackling female genital mutilation and to raise awareness of the unit. The first phase of this work will be carried out in a series of training workshops which Forward UK are delivering to Local Safeguarding Children's Boards in high prevalence female genital mutilation areas.
	The unit will also offer bespoke targeted peer support to local areas who want to strengthen their ability to tackle female genital mutilation. Organisations interested in receiving peer support or an outreach presentation can email the unit at FGMenquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk.

Female Genital Mutilation

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to ensure better co-ordination of guidance given to medical practitioners, teachers, and faith leaders on reporting and protecting girls from female genital mutilation.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to increase prosecution rates against those who have committed offences relating to female genital mutilation.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to collate statistics centrally on cases of female genital mutilation, both in the United Kingdom and involving British citizens extra-territorially.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the recommendations of peer studies on female genital mutilation, such as the Bristol PEER Study.

Lord Bates: At the Girl Summit, hosted by the Prime Minister, in July 2014, the Government set out a clear commitment to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and announced a comprehensive package of domestic measures to achieve this. The Government published update multi-agency guidelines to support better co-ordination of guidance on protecting girls from FGM. On 5 December the Government published a public consultation which seeks views on how to put these guidelines on a statutory basis to increase awareness of FGM and improve compliance with good practice.
	The Government also set out a range of measures to improve the law enforcement response and increase prosecution rates for FGM including the introduction of new legislation, the publication of new police guidance on FGM, and a review by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary into ‘so called’ honour based violence with a focus on FGM to commence in 2015. In addition, 42 forces have signed joint protocols with the Crown Prosecution Service on the investigation and prosecution of FGM, and the Government published a consultation on 5 December on how to introduce a mandatory reporting duty to increase referrals to the police in order to support more prosecutions.
	A prevalence study on FGM was also published by Equality Now and City University on 22 July, part-funded by the Home Office, identifying that approximately 60, 000 girls aged 0-14 have been born in England and Wales to mothers who had undergone FGM. Further data disaggregated to a local level will be published in early 2015. In addition, the Health and Social Care Information Centre published the first ever NHS FGM data on 16 October. This is a critical first step in understanding the extent of FGM in England as reported to health professionals.
	The Government works in close partnership with stakeholders in reviewing peer studies on FGM, and is committed to identifying and sharing good practice. On 22 July, the Government published a FGM resource pack on gov.uk including examples of good local practice in Bristol informed by the Bristol Peer study.

Flour

Lord Rooker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total annual cost of the fortification of flour; and whether this cost is shared with the devolved administrations.

Lord De Mauley: The cost of fortifying flour is borne by the milling industry rather than by central government departments or devolved administrations. It is estimated that, in 2013, UK production of those types of flour which the law requires to be fortified with iron, calcium, thiamine and niacin was approximately 3.5 million tonnes, and the cost to the industry of purchasing the four mandatory fortificants for that tonnage of flour would have been £2.5 million.
	
		
			 Nutrient £ Cost (per tonne of flour) 
			 Calcium 0.41p 
			 Vitamin Premix (Thiamin + Niacin + Iron) 0.30p 
			 Total Cost 0.71p

Forced Marriage Protection Orders

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications for a Forced Marriage Protection Order have been made since the coming into force of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007; and how many have been successful.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications have been made for a Forced Marriage Protection Order since the coming into force of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

Lord Faulks: Forced marriage is an appalling practice and should not be tolerated. That is why the Government has criminalised forced marriage to ensure that victims are protected by the law. The new offences of forced marriage in section 121 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 came into force on 16 June.
	Since the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 came into force on 25 November 2008 and up to the end of September 2014, 762 applications for a forced marriage protection order have been made, and 785 forced marriage protection orders have been issued. The number of orders made generally exceeds the number of applications as forced marriage protection orders are sometimes made during the course of applications for other family orders, and there is no differentiation between interim orders and final orders.
	Section 120 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which also came into force on 16 June 2014, made it a criminal offence to breach a forced marriage protection order. There were 63 applications for a forced marriage protection order in the period 1 July to 30 September 2014.

Foreign Investment in UK

Lord Kinnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what success has thus far been achieved by the Regeneration Investment Organisation in securing investment from overseas investors for projects in (1) Greater London, and (2) parts of the United Kingdom outside Greater London that are not included in the National Investment Plan.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: UKTI has been focused on securing investment in UK regeneration projects for three years. The Regeneration Investment Organisation was established within UKTI a year ago to strengthen this support for regeneration projects nationwide.
	RIO currently has more than ten active commercial dialogues between investors and regeneration projects following introductions.
	Additionally, successes by RIO (or by UKTI preceding the establishment of RIO) include the following:
	1) Greater London: RIO worked in partnership with London & Partners and the Greater London Authority to encourage investment from new participants in markets including China, Malaysia, Singapore, UAE, USA, Canada. UKTI was involved in attracting international investment in to Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms alongside L&P and the GLA.2) Outside Greater London: UKTI, working with local partners, helped in the successful introduction of a Chinese investor to Manchester City Airport, an £800m scheme. It also secured investment for residential schemes in Manchester and Solihull. RIO is focused on ensuring that there is a very strong longer-term pipeline of investable projects outside London – currently 90% are outside the capital. RIO works with all parts of the UK, whether or not there are projects in that area that are included in the National Infrastructure Plan. Details remain confidential at this stage but RIO will shortly announce a major project outside of London.

Free Schools: Disability

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications to establish a free school with a focus on inclusion of disabled learners, with or without
	Special Educational Needs, have been agreed to, and how many refused, by the Secretary of State.

Lord Nash: Since 2010 we have received over 1500 applications to open a free school, all of which will have had some focus on the inclusion of disabled learners. Within this number we have received 89 applications to establish special free schools, 22 of which have been approved to proceed to the pre-opening stage and 67 rejected. The 67 applications were rejected because they failed to meet our quality threshold.
	Three of the 11 open special free schools have been inspected by Ofsted, (with two being rated as ‘Good’ and one as ‘Outstanding’). Once open, all free schools have a statutory duty to make sure disabled students are not discriminated against and to promote their interests.

Fuels: Prices

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the effect of the cost of fuel on the well-being of older people.

Baroness Verma: We provide specific support for pensioner households through the Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payments. Furthermore, this winter some 1.4 million of the poorest pensioners across Great Britain will receive £140 off their electricity bill under the Warm Home Discount scheme. This is an increase of 200,000 compared to last year, and around twice as many households as were helped in 2010/11, the first year of the scheme. The value of the discount has also increased each year since 2010/11.
	In addition, we have issued guidance for all households and consumers, including older people, on how they can prepare for winter and save energy and money in the document Keep Warm This Winter which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keep-warm-this-winter.
	This Written Answer contained the following attachment: Keep Warm This Winter (DECC_Getting_ready_for_Winter__web.pdf)

Future of the Home Care Workforce Commission

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to respond to the assessment of the standards of domiciliary care in the report from the Burstow Commission on the future of the home care workforce.

Earl Howe: The Government is taking a variety of actions to drive up the quality of home care services and improve the working conditions of staff.
	The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has introduced a new system of inspection of social care providers. The new inspections are structured around five key questions that matter most to people – are services safe, caring, effective, well-led and responsive to people’s needs?
	From 1 April 2015, providers will be under a legal duty to meet a new set of registration requirements that include new fundamental standards. The CQC has a range of enforcement powers it can employ to ensure providers comply with these standards, including the ability to prosecute both providers and directors that are responsible for unacceptable standards of care. We are also introducing a “fit and proper person” test for directors. Where a director is deemed by the CQC to be unfit for the role, it will be able to insist upon his/her removal.
	The Department worked with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Local Government Association and the Health Services Management Centre at the University of Birmingham to develop a set of commissioning standards for local authorities. The standards were launched successfully at the National Children’s and Adults’ Services conference in October 2014 and will now be piloted by a number of local authorities.
	Local authorities will be encouraged to use them to support improvement in their commissioning practices, including those which impact on the social care workforce, such as provider compliance with National Minimum Wage requirements and fair employee contracting terms.
	The Government is also naming and shaming employers that break National Minimum Wage laws and helping staff to recover the pay owed to them.

General Practitioners

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to ensure that general practitioner risk data are correct.

Earl Howe: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England. The CQC is responsible for developing and consulting on its methodology for assessing whether providers are meeting the registration requirements.
	The CQC has advised the following:
	Following feedback from national and local stakeholders, and working with NHS England, the CQC last week completed a comprehensive review of the general practitioner intelligent monitoring data and, as a result, made a number of changes to the intelligent monitoring tool.
	The CQC uses nationally available published data and will continue to work with the data providers to ensure that robust data are used.
	The CQC is also reviewing the quality assurance of all of its outward facing analyses to ensure any necessary actions are taken to deliver quality data analysis in the future.

General Practitioners

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the withdrawal of Personal Medical Services payments on practices with a large number of deprived patients.

Earl Howe: The Department has made no such analysis.
	NHS England is in the process of reviewing Personal Medical Services (PMS) contracts to ensure fair funding for all general practices. Area teams will work with PMS practices to assess the impact of any reduction in payments on its registered patients.

General Practitioners

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the proposed changes to the funding formula for general practices take account of the pressures on practices with a high level of deprivation amongst their patients.

Earl Howe: Typically, at least half of the money that a General Medical Services practice receives is in the form of ‘Global Sum’ derived through the Carr-Hill formula. The Carr-Hill formula, as agreed with the British Medical Association, is used to allocate the Global Sum and related payments on the basis of the practice population, weighted for factors that influence relative needs and costs.
	Currently, the Carr-Hill formula includes a weighting for deprivation factors. It includes adjustments for levels of chronic disease and premature mortality, both of which are highly correlated with social deprivation. This was based on academic research to establish which factors – in addition to age and sex – best predict variations in workload between GP practices. A national review of the Carr-Hill formula is ongoing.

General Practitioners

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the account NHS England takes in its approach to the deregistering of “ghost” patients of those general practitioner practices which experience a high degree of mobility amongst their patients.

Earl Howe: NHS England is responsible for commissioning primary medical services in England. NHS England issues guidance, Tackling list inflation for primary medical services, to help general practitioner practices manage their patient lists. This can be found at:
	http://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/tack-infla.pdf
	It is good practice for NHS England to undertake regular ‘list cleansing’ exercises to ensure that their patient lists are up-to-date in order to promote fairness and efficiency.
	This Answer included the following attachment: Tackling list inflation (Tackling list inflation for primary medical services.pdf)

General Practitioners: Peterborough

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what analysis they have undertaken of the impact of the phasing out of Personal Medical Services payments on the viability of the Millfield Medical Centre, Peterborough.

Earl Howe: NHS England is in the process of reviewing Personal Medical Services (PMS) contracts to ensure fair funding for all general practices and its East Anglia Area Team will be carrying out a full review of the Millfield Medical Centre’s PMS contract in early 2015.

Gibraltar

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how old are the two Royal Navy vessels providing security in British waters at Gibraltar; what is their maximum potential speed in knots; and what is the estimated speed of the Spanish naval vessels which have made incursions in those waters.

Lord Astor of Hever: HMS SCIMITAR is 21 years old; HMS SABRE is 22 years old. Both are capable of travelling in excess of 25 knots, which enables them to fulfil their assigned role.
	The speed of Spanish naval vessels is a matter for them.

Government Departments: Disclosure of Information

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Wallace of Tankerness on 13 January (HL Deb, cols 19–20), what progress they have made in fulfilling their commitments to make further improvements to the accessibility of government transparency information by (1) ensuring greater co-ordination of the publication of data sets so that all returns within a quarter can be found on one page, (2) improving the access to and presentation of those data, including by improving
	the consistency of presentation and titling, (3) ensuring greater consistency in the content of departmental reporting, particularly in including the subject of meetings, and (4) ensuring that the gov.uk transparency pages contain a link to the statutory register of lobbyists so that the data can be easily cross-referenced.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Cabinet Office regularly monitors adherence to departmental open data commitments, as well as timeliness of their publication across government. We are making regular efforts to improve access to and presentation of the data, including by improving the consistency of presentation and titling.
	Steps have already been taken to improve the consistency of Ministers’, Senior Officials’ and Special Advisers’ transparency returns and technical improvements to the presentation of this data will be introduced for information published in 2015. The recently established independent Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists now has a web presence on gov.uk and the Government will ensure that the transparency pages of gov.uk provide a link to the statutory register once launched.

Government Departments: Pensions

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the Government Employee Pension liability.

Lord Deighton: The Whole of Government Accounts for 2012-13 showed that the value of public service pension liabilities was £1,171.6 billion.

Government Departments: Staff

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will update the table in the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 10 January 2012 (HL14312) showing how many members of Home Office staff have been convicted of criminal offences in connection with their official activities in each of the last five years, showing in each case the name of the offender, the date of conviction and the sentence received.

Lord Bates: Since June 2013, there have been three additional cases of members of Home Office staff that have been convicted of criminal offences in connection with their official activities. The nature of the offences are in the table provided.
	This Answer included the following attachment Table 1 (Table v1.doc)

Health: Screening

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to evaluate the NHS Check programme.

Earl Howe: The Commons Science and Technology Select Committee recently recommended a review of the Health Check programme in its report on the National Screening Committee. The Government will publish its response to the Committee’s report, including the recommendation on the NHS Health Check programme, in the new year.

Hearing Impairment: Children

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they are currently making available to parents of deaf children about the quality of paediatric audiology services.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the quality of paediatric audiology services, and how they will be monitored in the future.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider mandating NHS England to ensure that all children’s audiology services both undertake the Improving Quality In Physiological Services process and sign waivers of confidentiality so that all information about the quality of children’s audiology services is available to families of deaf children.

Earl Howe: We are advised by NHS England that the Improving Quality in Physiological Services programme, run jointly by the United Kingdom of Accreditation Service (UKAS) and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), is raising the profile of accreditation and quality assurance schemes for physiological diagnostic services. A mapping exercise is underway to identify those services which are accredited or working towards accreditation which is an integral improvement step on the pathway to full accreditation as a mark of quality. To date audiology services are making good progress towards accreditation.
	Commissioning of accredited services is considered good practice and should be encouraged. UKAS and RCP are supporting the NHS England business objective to increase the use of accreditation. Information about those services which have achieved accreditation is publicly available on the UKAS website.
	All hospital providers of audiology services are registered with the Care Quality Commission and information on their monitoring and inspections is freely available online. Local authorities and clinical
	commissioning groups should also be providing details of services for deaf children as part of their published offer under the new statutory framework for special educational needs and disability.

Higher Education: Admissions

Lord Sharkey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many students (1) from the United Kingdom, and (2) from other countries, were admitted to Higher Education Institutions in England for each of the five years to August 2014; and for each of those years, how many of each of those groups of students were admitted as (a) full-time undergraduates, (b) part-time undergraduates, (c) full-time postgraduates, (d) part-time postgraduates, (e) full-time mature students, and (f) part-time mature students.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects data on students enrolled at UK Higher Education Providers.
	Statistics on entrants by mode of study, level of study and domicile were published by HESA in Table 2 of their Statistical First Release “Higher Education Student Enrolments and Qualifications obtained at Higher Education Providers in the United Kingdom. (https://www.hesa.ac.uk/component/content/article?id=3103)
	Statistics on the number of entrants by age, mode and domicile is shown in the attached table.
	Figures for 2013/14 will become available when HESA publish their annual Statistical First Release on 15 January 2015.
	This Answer included the following attachment:
	Entrants by domicile1, level, mode of study and ag (HL3809 (28837).xlsx)

HIV Infection

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans are in place for the national HIV prevention programme beyond April 2016.

Earl Howe: We are looking to be more ambitious and innovative in the way we deliver the HIV prevention programme in 2015-16 and beyond. This programme will be part of our longer-term strategy for sexual and reproductive health which we plan to announce in the New Year.

Honour Based Violence

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure uniform police reporting, in forces across the United Kingdom, of honour killings.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many British citizens are the victims of honour killings each year.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve extra-territorial reporting and prosecution of honour killings.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that the safety of those who testify against their relatives in honour killing cases can be better protected.

Lord Bates: The government finds so called honour-based violence unacceptable and condemns this practice. At the Girl Summit in July the College of Policing announced the development of a new Authorised Professional Practice (APP) for police on honour based violence and forced marriage. The APP is the official and most up to date source of policing practice. In 2015 Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies will be carrying out an inspection into honour based violence. The inspection will look at the way cases are handled, how officers are trained and any community based prevention work.
	While the government does not hold specific data on honour killings of British citizens as it is not a separately identifiable offence, the Crown Prosecution Service Violence Against Women and Girls Report 2013-14 published in July 2014 sets out that the volume of referrals from the police to the Crown Prosecution Service of honour based violence related offences rose to 240 in 2013-14 from 230 in 2012-2013. 158 (65.8% of these referrals) were charged. 206 defendants were prosecuted for honour based violence related offences in 2013-2014, a rise from 200 last year, with 59.7% convicted.
	To improve the extra-territorial reporting and prosecution of honour killings, extra-territorial provision is included in the new forced marriage offence, introduced through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. The Serious Crime Bill includes provisions to extend extra-territorial jurisdiction over offences of female genital mutilation, recognised in some instances as a type of honour based violence, committed abroad.
	Witnesses in cases of honour based violence may be eligible for special measures during the trial, such as giving evidence from behind a screen or with the assistance of a video link, to enable them to give their best possible evidence. The Judge can also order that the court is cleared if intimidation is suspected in the court room. The police can employ measures proportionate to an assessed risk to the witness, including the installation of locks and security alarms. In the
	most serious cases where there is a threat to life, witnesses may be referred to the UK Protected Person Service for the highest level of protection.

House of Lords: Catering

Lord Avebury: To ask the Chairman of Committees what has been (1) the expenditure, and (2) the profit or deficit, for the years 2012–13 and 2013–14 of each catering outlet in the House of Lords.

Lord Sewel: The turnover, expenditure and profit or loss of each Catering and Retail Service outlet in 2012-13 and 2013-14 are set out in the tables below.
	
		
			 2012-13 
			 Outlet Turnover (£) Expenditure (£) Profit/loss (£) 
			 Peers' Dining Room 491,364 1,308,224 -816,860 
			 Barry Room 238,267 498,307 -260,040 
			 Home Room 44,838 182,122 -137,284 
			 River Restaurant 257,041 689,116 -432,075 
			 Bishops Bar 51,399 111,197 -59,798 
			 Peers Guest Room 59,952 56,524 3,428 
			 Lords Bar 99,612 130,914 -31,302 
			 Millbank House 90,139 205,036 -114,897 
		
	
	
		
			 2013-14 
			 Outlet Turnover (£) Expenditure (£) Profit/loss (£) 
			 Peers' Dining Room 554,236 1,441,232 -886,996 
			 Barry Room 204,882 466,362 -261,480 
			 Home Room 29,503 163,502 -133,999 
			 River Restaurant 258,457 703,978 -445,521 
			 Bishops Bar 60,090 125,399 -65,310 
			 Peers Guest Room 60,045 75,335 -15,290 
			 Lords Bar 106,561 102,746 3,815 
			 Millbank House 91,430 240,236 -148,806

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

The Lord Bishop of Truro: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will encourage the personalisation of oxygen services specifically for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and ensure that users are thoroughly trained to avoid incorrect oxygen techniques.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to make sure that all patients diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are assessed for and offered access to appropriate courses of pulmonary rehabilitation.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will guarantee that all people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are assessed for appropriate and personalised oxygen therapy after diagnosis.

Earl Howe: Clinicians are responsible for prescribing home oxygen and robust oxygen assessment services are in place across the country.
	In terms of personalisation, there is little specific evidence to suggest that prescribing of oxygen for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis should be any different from that of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other causes of respiratory failure. Oxygen therapy is the treatment for the lack of oxygen whatever the specific disease.
	Commissioning of home oxygen services should be overseen by clinical commissioning groups except where an individual requires specialised services. In these circumstances, oxygen therapy is covered in the service specification for specialised commissioning of interstitial lung disease. Where oxygen is prescribed at home, NHS England would expect that training is given by the provider on the correct use of the equipment.
	NHS England expects commissioners and providers to take account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on oxygen and rehabilitation in commissioning and providing these services. A NICE Quality Standard is also being developed in this area.
	In addition, the British Thoracic Society (which is NICE accredited) is due to launch its home oxygen clinical guidelines in February 2015.

Immigration

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 5 December (HL3055), whether they have published an impact assessment on the fiscal impact of immigration into the United Kingdom since 2008.

Lord Deighton: The government has not published an impact assessment on the fiscal impact of immigration into the United Kingdom since 2008. The fiscal impacts of migration are considered in impact assessments published by the government where appropriate.

Immigration: Poland

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 2 December (HL3119), which department would have the authority to carry out an assessment of the contribution of Polish immigrants to the United Kingdom.

Lord Bates: No assessment of immigrants’ contribution to the United Kingdom on the basis of nationality has been conducted by Her Majesty's Government, but it would be open to a number of departments to do so.

Imports

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the 2013 calendar year, what was the split of the total imports of goods from outside the European Union, between (1) industrial goods, and (2) processed and unprocessed agricultural and fish products; and what were the corresponding aggregate gross (before handling charge) values of the Common External Tariff charged by HM Revenue and Customs on (a) industrial goods, and (b) processed and unprocessed agricultural and fish products.

Lord Deighton: In 2013 total imports of goods by volume from outside the EU was split 96.6% industrial goods and 3.4% agricultural and fish products.
	The split by customs duty paid was 84.3% (£2,406,874,076) for industrial goods and 15.7% (£448,545,528) for agricultural products.

Imports

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the 2013 calendar year, what was the aggregate value of imports of goods from outside the European Union on which HM Revenue and Customs charged a positive Common External Tariff (CET); and what was the corresponding aggregate value of the CET so charged.

Lord Deighton: In 2013, goods subject to a positive duty charge with an aggregate value of £46,801,238,041 were imported from outside the EU. Customs duty totalling £2,855,517,901 was charged and collected on these goods.

Imports

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the 2013 calendar year, what was the aggregate value of imports of goods from outside the European Union on which HM Revenue and Customs effectively charged zero Common External Tariff (CET), whether this was because the product in question was not liable to CET or because it was zero-rated.

Lord Deighton: During 2013, the aggregate value of goods imported from outside the EU on which no customs duty was charged was £216,685,828,867.

Imports

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 28 May 2012 (WA 112–3), what were the top 20 categories
	(as defined by HM Revenue and Customs) of goods imported from outside the European Union in 2013 according to value of imports; and how much was collected by HMRC in gross customs duties in each of those categories in 2013.

Lord Deighton: The top 20 categories of goods imported from outside the European Union in 2013 by value are detailed in the table below. The table also provides details of the customs duties collected for each category as defined by the integrated tariff of the United Kingdom.
	
		
			 Rank Value of goods (£) Customs duty paid (£) Category description 
			 1 41,171,266,525 1,126,611 Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products made thereof 
			 2 25,579,474,047 135,782,315 Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances 
			 3 18,954,148,255 18,663,167 Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, precious metals, metals clad with precious metal and articles made thereof 
			 4 17,924,341,565 201,768,337 Electrical machinery, equipment and parts; includes sound and television recorders and reproducers 
			 5 7,175,773,811 5,102,959 Aircraft, spacecraft and parts thereof 
			 6 6,427,348,150 379,211,375 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted 
			 7 6,396,399,234 208,449,001 Vehicles, other than railway or tramway rolling stock and parts and accessories thereof 
			 8 5,676,252,444 397,736,063 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories not knitted or crocheted 
			 9 5,415,414,998 42,138,787 Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof 
			 10 4,450,948,324 nil Pharmaceutical products 
			 11 3,615,260,808 139,622,724 Plastics and articles thereof 
			 12 3,446,588,010 34,153,904 Furniture, bedding, mattresses, mattress supports, cushions and similar stuffed furnishings; lamps and light fittings; illuminated signs and nameplates; prefabricated buildings 
		
	
	
		
			 13 3,135,140,133 2,224 Works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques 
			 14 2,804,838,221 55,333,629 Toys, games and sports requisites, parts and accessories thereof 
			 15 2,622,013,962 36,523,824 Articles of iron or steel 
			 16 2,577,771,512 35,193,037 Organic chemicals 
			 17 2,533,965,297 234,672,999 Footwear, gaiters and the like, parts of such articles 
			 18 2,172,023,552 88,034,379 Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons 
			 19 1,858,239,088 nil Ores, slag and ash 
			 20 1,696,793,223 34,745,661 Rubber and articles thereof

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 3 December 2013 (WA 36) and 3 December 2014 (HL3158), which were the relevant experts or international authorities with whom the Chief Medical Officer “had a lot of discussions”; which international authorities agreed with the Chief Medical Officer’s own assessment that no-one “has come up with a better definition”; how the new definition is being accordingly incorporated into the syllabus for biology students; and what are their views on the ontological propriety of the proposed redefinition of genetic modification on the basis that it “is not that that is what it is”.

Earl Howe: As stated in my Written Answer of 3 December 2014 (Official Report, Column WA270), the development of a working definition for genetic modification in humans was undertaken in order to bring clarity to the discussion around mitochondrial donation and is solely intended to be used in this context. There is no universally agreed definition of genetic modification in humans and the working definition devised for the debate on mitochondrial donation did not aim to establish one. The Chief Medical Officer was clear in her evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee on 22 October 2014 that the definition’s purpose is to clarify discussion of this issue.
	With regard to the discussions that took place in developing the working definition, in developing its position the Department, in consultation with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, also had discussions with the Wellcome Trust and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 15 December (HL3301), how many foetal reductions performed following in vitro fertilisation over the past decade were performed between (1) weeks 0–5, (2) weeks 6–13, and (3) weeks 14–16.

Earl Howe: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that in the decade preceding 31 December 2012, the Authority’s register records the following incidences of foetal reductions performed following in vitro fertilisation:
	
		
			 Foetal reduction in weeks 0-5 Foetal reduction in weeks 6-13 Foetal reduction in weeks 14-16 
			 0 156 27

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 15 December (HL3302), how exhaustively the POLG gene at chromosomal locus 15q25 has been sequenced in all individuals known to be affected by the mitochondrial diseases listed in Annex D of the mitochondrial donation consultation document in order to establish the evidence base described in that answer; and whether the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority would routinely require sequencing of the POLG gene in order to ensure that pronuclear transfer or spindle-chromosomal transfer should only be used for patients who have an inherited mitochondrial DNA mutation and not where faulty mitochondria may have arisen from a nuclear gene mutation.

Earl Howe: We are advised by the Wellcome Trust that diagnosis of mitochondrial DNA disease is performed within the National Health Service Highly Specialised Service diagnostic laboratory using well established diagnostic algorithms and Practice Guidelines for the Molecular Diagnosis of Mitochondrial Diseases published by the Clinical Molecular Genetics Society at:
	http://www.acgs.uk.com/media/774654/mito_2008.pdf
	Mitochondrial defects that arise due to nuclear gene mutations, such as DNA polymerase gamma, routinely give rise to multiple different mutations of mitochondrial DNA within patient tissues or depletion of mitochondrial DNA. This is apparent upon genetic testing and would then lead to analysis of the DNA polymerase gamma gene to identify the nuclear gene defect.
	The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that it will design the regulatory process following the passage of any regulations to allow mitochondrial donation. Should Parliament pass the mitochondrial donation regulations, the technique could only be licensed for the avoidance of diseases caused by inherited mutations in mitochondrial DNA, not nuclear DNA.
	This Answer included the following attachment: CMGS Practice Guidelines (CMGS Practice Guidelines for the Molecular Diagnosis of Mitochondrial Diseases.pdf)

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 30 October 2013 (WA 259), 26 November 2013 (WA 263), 3 December 2013 (WA 36), 3 December 2014 (HL3158) and 16 December 2014 (HL3461), whether they consider there to be any barriers to a universally agreed definition of genetic modification, in the light of the Chief Medical Officer’s views on the matter; if so, what are the “rather mixed and odd ways” in which others have used terms like “genetic modification,” “GM” and “germline”; and how the statements by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics are consistent with their view that “this process is not genetic modification”.

Earl Howe: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority refers to the proposed mitochondrial donation techniques as “germ-line modification” and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics as “germ line gene therapy”. As I stated in my Written Answer of 16 December 2014 (HL3461), we agree with this and believe it to be consistent with our view that the proposed mitochondrial donation techniques are not genetic modification.

Income Tax

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the increases in income tax personal allowance have had an impact on the data on income levels available to them; and if so, what action they intend to take as a result.

Lord Deighton: Increases to the amount of income tax personal allowance do not affect the amount of income data available to HM Revenue and Customs.

India

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent attacks on religious minorities in India, notably Christians; and when they next intend to raise this issue with the government of India.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: India’s Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice and propagate religion. The Indian government has a range of policies
	and programmes to support religious minorities. However, incidents of discrimination against minority communities in India do still occur.
	Our High Commissioner in New Delhi met India’s new Minister of Minority Affairs, Dr Najma Heptulla, on 16 June to discuss a range of minority issues. Our High Commission in New Delhi discusses minority issues, including religious tolerance of Christians, with the Indian National Commission for Minorities and with other relevant State level authorities. Minority rights were also discussed at the EU-India human rights dialogue on 27 November 2013. We will continue to maintain a dialogue with the new Indian government about minority rights issues.
	We also support religious and other minorities in India through the Department for International Development’s programme in India which helps to promote equal treatment and access to services for the most disadvantaged communities.

India

Baroness Berridge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the reports of an attack on 13 December by Hindu radicals on a Christian pastor and his church members singing Christmas carols in Hyderabad.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: India’s Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice and propagate religion. The Indian government has a range of policies and programmes to support religious minorities. However, incidents of discrimination against minority communities in India do still occur. We are aware of the recent attack on a pastor in Hyderabad. The Chief Minister of Telangana Sri K Chandrashekar Rao made clear publicly that such attacks would not be tolerated.
	The British High Commissioner Sir James Bevan met India’s new Minister of Minority Affairs, Dr Najma Heptulla, on 16 June to discuss a range of minority issues. Our High Commission in New Delhi discusses minority issues, including religious tolerance of Christians, with the Indian National Commission for Minorities and with other relevant State level authorities. Minority rights were also discussed at the EU-India human rights dialogue on 27 November 2013. We will continue to maintain a dialogue with the new Indian government about minority rights issues.

India

Baroness Berridge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to, or discussions they have had with, the government of India regarding freedom of religion or belief in that country since the election of Prime Minister Modi.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British High Commissioner Sir James Bevan met India’s new Minister of Minority Affairs, Dr Najma Heptulla, on 16 June to discuss a range of minority issues. Our High Commission in New Delhi discusses minority issues, including religious tolerance of Christians, with the Indian National Commission for Minorities and with other relevant State level authorities. Minority rights
	were also discussed at the EU-India human rights dialogue on 27 November 2013. We will continue to maintain a dialogue with the new Indian government about minority rights issues.
	We also support religious and other minorities in India through the Department for International Development’s programme in India which helps to promote equal treatment and access to services for the most disadvantaged communities.

Influenza: Vaccination

Baroness Hollins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Public Health England’s recommendation that children and adults with a learning disability should routinely be offered influenza vaccination on uptake among people with a learning disability.

Earl Howe: The measures that have been introduced to promote the offer of influenza vaccination to people with a learning disability should result in increased uptake among this group. It is not possible accurately to predict or quantify the scale of the change.

Internment: Northern Ireland

Lord Eames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of allegations that information on alleged torture by United Kingdom forces in Northern Ireland was withheld from the European Court of Human Rights by the United Kingdom Government in 1971.

Lord Astor of Hever: The request will now be considered by the Court in line with the arrangements laid down in its rules of procedure. In accordance with those rules, if it does not decide to refuse the request the Court will refer it to the United Kingdom and invite written comments within a time-limit set by the Court.

Internment: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the request made to the European Court on Human Rights by the government of the Republic of Ireland for a review of the 1978 judgment in the case Ireland v the United Kingdom.

Lord Astor of Hever: The request will now be considered by the Court in line with the arrangements laid down in its rules of procedure. In accordance with those rules, if it does not decide to refuse the request the Court will refer it to the United Kingdom and invite written comments within a time-limit set by the Court.

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the appointment of General Eisenkot as Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defence Force; and what discussions they have had with the Government of Israel concerning his Dahiyya Doctrine.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: We are aware of Major General Eisenkot’s nomination to succeed Lieutenant General Gantz as the Chief of Staff for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). As he is the current Deputy Chief of Staff, we would therefore expect a degree of continuity. While we have not had any discussions with the IDF over the “Dahiyya” Doctrine, we would have expectations of Israeli military conduct being in full compliance with international law and therefore meeting the tests of military necessity, distinction and proportionality.

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Government of Israel concerning (1) the arrest of fishermen on 6 December, (2) reported targeting of fishing boats with machine gun fire, and (3) deaths and wounding of fishermen since 26 August.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: We have not made any representations to the Israeli authorities over the issues concerning fishermen in Gaza. However, our officials in Tel Aviv are looking into the situation faced by Gazan fishermen and will consider whether to take any action on this issue.

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Israel's proposed “nation-state” bill.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we have not made an assessment on this issue, we have raised with the Israeli authorities the importance of maintaining equal rights for all of Israel’s citizens.

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning reports of the Israeli Civil Administration’s confiscation of wet weather tarpaulin sheets on 27 November from the Samen Bedouin Community in East Jerusalem.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, the Government believes that Israel has legal obligations as an Occupying Power with respect to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, under applicable international law. We have a regular dialogue with the Government
	of Israel, with regards to the implementation of those obligations, and raise our serious concerns regarding such issues as demolitions of Palestinian property, as well as permitting and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the harmony rules for RAF personnel serving in the new F35B squadrons will be brought into line with their Royal Navy equivalents.

Lord Astor of Hever: RAF personnel serving in the new F35B squadrons will follow RAF harmony guidelines. They will not be brought into line with their Navy equivalents.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the primary factor in the choice of F35B variant as the United Kingdom’s new attack aircraft was the requirement for the aircraft to be operated from the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

Lord Astor of Hever: The F35B meets the UK's Combat Air capability requirements, contributing a 5th Generation capability alongside the Typhoon. The F35B provides flexibility to be equally capable of operating from bases ashore or from the Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers as the operational scenario dictates.

Jordan

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any additional plans to provide further support to the government of Jordan to assist with displaced Syrian refugees.

Baroness Northover: By the end of March 2015, the UK will have provided almost £220 million of assistance to Jordan since the start of the Syria crisis. In 2014/15, UKAid spending in Jordan is forecast to be around £66 million. Since the onset of the Syria crisis the UK has committed £700 million for humanitarian activities in Syria and neighbouring states. This includes £82 million to date in support of UNICEF’s ‘No Lost Generation’ initiative, which provides protection, trauma care and education for children affected by the crisis.

Kenya

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the evidence provided by Human Rights Watch in respect of the availability of justice for those who experienced mass killings and rape associated with the 2007 presidential election in Kenya.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Pursuing transitional justice is important for long-term peace and stability in Kenya. We acknowledge the steps taken by the Government of Kenya to address the needs of some victims of post-election violence. The UK encourages greater efforts by the Government of Kenya to promote reconciliation and make further substantial progress on this agenda. It is therefore essential that the needs of the victims continue to be placed at the centre of efforts to deliver justice.

Learning Disability and Autism

Baroness Hollins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in working with Health Education England, Skills for Health and partners to develop a national workforce academy to improve the knowledge and skills of health and social care professionals working with people with a learning disability or autism whose behaviour challenges.

Earl Howe: Sir Stephen Bubb’s report, Winterbourne View – Time for Change, which was published in November recommended that a national workforce academy should be established. A cross-system response to the report is expected early in the new year and will be coordinated by NHS England.

Learning Disability: Health Services

Baroness Hollins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address variations in uptake and quality of annual health checks for people with a learning disability.

Earl Howe: General Practitioners are supported to deliver annual health checks for people with learning disabilities from the age of 14 through the Designated Enhanced Service payment scheme. The promotion of and increased access to annual health checks is a priority for NHS England.
	NHS England is working in partnership with the Improving Health and Lives team in Public Health England to deliver workshops for stakeholders, and to improve information to people with learning disabilities and their families and carers to support them to access the services.
	NHS England’s work in 2014-15 has focused on analysing the variation in uptake at the level of its Area Teams, including engaging with a range of stakeholders to assess the barriers and obstacles to improving uptake. This early engagement and analysis has highlighted the importance that local clinical leadership has had in driving up uptake in areas where there is higher uptake.

Learning Disability: Nurses

Baroness Hollins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that every acute hospital employs a learning disability liaison nurse.

Earl Howe: The Equality Act 2010 exists to protect people with disabilities from discrimination. All National Health Service providers including acute hospitals have a duty to promote disability equality.
	The requirement for acute hospitals to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for people with learning disabilities is normally included in commissioner contracts and compliance measured as part of the contract management role/process. Trusts are held to account through this mechanism.
	Learning Disability Liaison Nurses are proven to improve the quality of services for people with learning disabilities in acute hospitals, and are an important way of demonstrating compliance with the requirement.
	The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) approach to inspecting trusts ensures that the trust has made appropriate adjustments to meet the needs of service users, as outlined in the Key Line Of Enquiry for ‘Responsive’ in the appendix to the acute hospital handbook, available on the CQC’s website. Appropriate adjustments specifically include provision for the care of patients with learning disabilities.
	The Government’s Mandate to NHS England sets out our ambitions for the health service, which include an objective that NHS England ensures clinical commissioning groups work with local authorities to ensure that vulnerable people, particularly those with learning disabilities and autism, receive safe, appropriate, high quality care. NHS England sets out how it will achieve the objectives in the Mandate in its 2014-15 – 2016-17 business plan. The Government will hold NHS England to account for its achievement.

Leasehold

Baroness Gardner of Parkes: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the division of responsibilities in leasehold property between (1) lead lessees, (2) landlords, and (3) long-term residents who are either tenants or leaseholders.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The responsibilities of each party with a legal and/or financial interest in a leasehold property will be determined by the terms of the lease. This is the contractual agreement between the parties, and which may vary depending on the property concerned and other requirements.

Libya

Baroness Stern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will propose a resolution of the United Nations Security Council following the referral to that body by the International Criminal Court of the finding of non-compliance by the government of Libya in respect of failure to surrender Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to the Court and failure to return seized documents to the defence.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: On 10 December the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber dealing with Saif Qadhafi’s case issued a decision, which found that Libya had failed to comply with the Court’s request to surrender Qadhafi. It decided to refer Libya’s non-compliance to the United Nations Security Council. The United Kingdom fully supports the ICC’s decision and urges Libya to surrender Qadhafi to the Court. We will work within the Security Council for an effective response to the ICC.

Loans

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the size of peer-to-peer consumer and business finance.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to regulate the peer-to-peer lending market.

Lord Deighton: Peer-to-peer lending is an innovative new form of finance and the Government is keen to see this sector continue to grow and evolve.
	Following representations from the peer-to-peer sector, the Government announced in November 2012 its intention to bring peer-to-peer lending within the regulatory scope of the Financial Conduct Authority from April 2014. Proportionate regulation will allow the sector to continue to grow.
	The Government has not made an assessment of the size of the peer-to-peer consumer and business finance markets.

Loans

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had any discussions with the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority about whether to allow the securitisation of peer-to-peer consumer or business loans.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they, the Bank of England or the Financial Conduct Authority have held any discussions with the credit rating agencies about the securitisation of peer-to-peer consumer or business loans.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what risks they consider need to be prepared for in the expansion of the peer-to-peer lending market; and whether the potential securitisation of such lending would require additional regulation.

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England are looking at modelling what level of institutional investment in peer-to-peer (P2P) collaterised loan obligations, or at what level funds established to buy P2P collaterised loans, would present a systemic risk to the financial system; and if not, whether they have done so or plan to.

Lord Deighton: Her Majesty’s Government have not had any discussions with the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or credit rating agencies about the securitisation of peer-to-peer loans.
	However, since April 2014, the peer-to-peer lending sector has been supervised and regulated by the FCA. The FCA monitors risks in any regulated sector on an ongoing basis.

Loans: Republic of Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the arrangements for the government of the Republic of Ireland to repay loans provided during the recent banking crisis.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the Republic of Ireland owes the United Kingdom as a result of loans made during the recent banking crisis.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the discussions which preceded the loan of funds to the Republic of Ireland as a result of the recent banking crisis, what restrictions were placed on their use.

Lord Deighton: The UK provided a bilateral loan to Ireland as part of an international assistance package, designed to stabilise the Irish economy and public finances. The UK bilateral loan was not limited to specific purposes but contributed to Ireland's general government financing.
	In accordance with the Loans to Ireland Act 2010, HM Treasury reports to Parliament every six months including information on principal and interest payments.
	I refer the noble Lord to the report laid on 13 October 2014 which is also available online, alongside all previous reports submitted by HM Treasury[1].
	[1]
	These reports are available in the Library of the House and can be accessed on the following site: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bilateral-loan-to-ireland

Malaysia

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of the ill-treatment and death of North Korean workers at a mine in Sarawak; and whether they have raised those reports with the government of Malaysia.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware of reports of fatalities at a mine in Sarawak and wider concerns about labour rights in Malaysia, in particular for foreign workers. Our High Commission in Kuala Lumpur is in close touch with civil society and regularly hears their concerns.

Marine Protected Areas

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which Marine Protected Areas will be established around the coast of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland during each year from 2015 to 2020; what restrictions on fishing, transport, and extraction of oil, gas and minerals will be required for each area; and which organisations will be responsible for regulating those areas and reporting on those developments.

Lord De Mauley: Each Administration in the UK has responsibility for designating Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in its inshore waters. Offshore waters adjacent to England, Wales and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the UK Government. The Scottish Government is responsible for the designation of MPAs for offshore waters adjacent to Scotland. Responsibility for reporting on any plans for future Marine Protected Areas within their areas rests with the appropriate administration in the UK.
	The UK Government aims to consult on a second tranche of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) early next year. This will include details of all the proposed sites and an Impact Assessment containing estimates
	of the cost implications for marine industries. A third tranche of MCZs is expected to follow. Natural England has recently consulted on proposals for two Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in English inshore waters in accordance with the EU Wildbirds Directive. Proposals for further SPAs in the waters for which the UK Government is responsible will be published in due course. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee is analysing evidence to determine whether there are any further potential Special Areas of Conservation for harbour porpoise in accordance with the criteria in the EU Habitats Directive, and will report in due course.
	All regulatory authorities are obliged to exercise their functions, including licensing and development consents, in a manner consistent with their legal obligations to protect MPAs in the relevant national legislation. The main regulatory authorities are the Department for Energy and Climate Change, with respect to significant energy projects and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) for most other marine licencing consents. Inshore fisheries are managed by the relevant Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and the MMO. Fisheries management for offshore sites will be achieved through EU Regulation under the Common Fisheries Policy.

Mass Media: Competition

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to ensure that there is a diverse range of independent news media voices across all platforms.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government consulted on the scope of a measurement framework for media plurality in July 2013. We published our response to that consultation in August 2014; our response also addressed the recommendations of the Lords' Communications Committee report into plurality. In our response, we set out the scope of a measurement framework for media plurality and subsequently commissioned Ofcom to develop this, informed by a suitable set of indicators. The Government has been clear that it will not consider changing the existing regulatory framework for media plurality until the measurement framework and a baseline assessment have been delivered. I understand that Ofcom plans to consult on their proposals for a measurement framework early in the New Year and hopes to publish its conclusions in summer 2015.

Medicine: Postgraduate Education

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) Masters students, and (2) PhD students were supported via the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in nursing or allied care disciplines in each of the last three years.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Department supports postgraduate study in nursing and allied care disciplines through the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), except where courses are sponsored directly by National Health Service (NHS) bodies.
	HEFCE funding is provided via two different routes:
	i) Taught Programmes, which are typically Masters qualifications such as Masters of Arts or Masters of Sciences, but also include courses such as postgraduate diplomas;
	ii) Research Programmes, which are typically Doctorates in Philosophy (PhDs), but can include some Masters programmes such as Masters of Philosophy or Masters of Research courses. Research programmes are funded through ‘Quality-Related (QR) Research Degree Programme (RDP) supervision funding’.
	Information on the number of full-time equivalents funded on each of these programmes is provided in the tables.
	Funding for Postgraduate Taught Programmes
	
		
			 Students funded by HEFCE on Taught Programmes in nursing and subjects allied to medicine1 
			  2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 
			 Taught Masters Programmes2 2,685 3,170 2,910 
			 Other Taught Post-Graduate Programmes 1,045 1,160 1,360 
		
	
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 students.
	1. Figures are based on the ‘Subjects allied to medicine’ principal subject area, defined by the Joint Academic Coding System, and exclude those studying ‘Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology’ and ‘Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy’.
	2. Taught Masters Programmes are defined by HESA course aims E00, M00, M01, M02, M10, M11, M16 and M50. The full definitions for these course aims are published at www.hesa.ac.uk
	3. Source of data: HESA/ILR data for the period 2010-11 to 2012-13.
	Funding for Postgraduate Research Programmes
	
		
			 Students counting towards HEFCE’s Quality Related Research Degree Programme supervision funding1, 2 
			  2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 
			 Nursing and Midwifery 355 375 375 
			 Allied Health Professions and Studies 955 995 1,000 
			 Total 1,310 1,365 1,370 
		
	
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 students.
	1 Eligible UK- and EU-domiciled postgraduate research students are counted in this allocation.
	2 Research Students include both those studying towards PhDs and those studying towards a research masters (such as an MRes or MPhil).
	3 Nursing and allied care studies have been defined in this table on the basis of Units of Assessment used in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.
	4 FTE Figures on QR RDP supervision funding are based on Post-Graduate Research Data reported to HESA for the years shown.
	5 Funding is confined to those Higher Education Provider Departments that attained a rating of at least a 2* in the 2008 RAE.

Medicine: Postgraduate Education

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) Masters students, and (2) PhD students were supported via the Department of Health in nursing or allied care disciplines in each of the last three years.

Earl Howe: The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Health Education England (HEE) fund higher education institutions (HEIs) to provide Masters in Clinical Research places to nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals (AHPs) who work in the National Health Service. HEIs have reported 125 Masters studentships in the 2011-12 academic year (all HEIs) and 152 in 2012-13 (11 out of 12 HEIs). Full data for 2012-13 is expected shortly. Data for 2013-14 is expected by early 2015.
	NIHR and NIHR/HEE doctoral fellowships for nurses, midwives and AHPs totalled nine awarded in 2012, 32 in 2013 and 15 in 2014.

Mental Health Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to determine how the legal requirement in relation to parity of esteem is to be followed by NHS England.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what policies have been implemented by NHS England to implement the legal requirement in relation to parity of esteem.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to monitor the performance of NHS England in ensuring that parity of esteem is fully implemented in the National Health Service.

Earl Howe: The Government holds the National Health Service to account for achieving parity of esteem by setting objectives in the NHS England Mandate and monitoring their delivery through the NHS Outcomes Framework. If NHS England is failing to deliver against its objectives, Ministers can ask NHS England to report on what action it has taken, or to set out a plan for improvement.
	The NHS Mandate 2015-16 makes clear that by March 2016 we expect NHS England to have made further measurable progress towards achieving true parity of esteem where everyone who needs it has timely access to evidenced based services that are better integrated with physical health services.
	In January 2014 the Government set out its priorities for mental health in Closing the Gap that sets out the steps that the government, NHS England and their partners will take to make progress towards parity of esteem for mental health. This is complemented by the Department and NHS England’s new five-year plan for mental health, Achieving Better Access to Mental Health Services by 2020 that was published in October 2014.
	To make progress towards delivering parity of esteem the Department and NHS England have:
	- worked together to ensure that there are consistent messages to commissioners and providers about the importance of delivering parity of esteem for mental health service users;- extended the legal rights to choice in mental health so people with mental health problems will have the same choice for their care as they do for their physical health;- invested £400 million in Improving Access to Psychological Therapy for adults and £54m over the four year period from 2011-2015 in the children and young people’s IAPT programme to transform child and adolescent mental health services;- set two new waiting time targets to make sure that, by 2016, at least 50% of young people referred for early intervention in psychosis services will start treatment within two weeks and treatment within six weeks for 75% of people referred to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, with 95% of people being treated within 18 weeks;- identified £40 million additional spending this year and freed up a further £80 million for 2015-16, to support the implementation of the new waiting time standards; and- invested £2 million in nine street triage pilots where police and mental health professionals work together to support people in mental health crisis access safe, appropriate care and we have committed £25 million in 2014-15 to commission 10 trial sites delivering on a new standard service specification for liaison and diversion services in England.
	Monitor and NHS England are responsible for setting the national tariff arrangements and are working together to develop a national payment system for mental health which promotes improving outcomes and recovery.
	We will also be investing £30 million a year over the next five years in England to improve services for young people with mental health problems. This will place particular emphasis on eating disorders.

Mental Health Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what mechanisms they have set up to consider complaints from patients who consider that parity of esteem has not been established in relation to their own treatment.

Earl Howe: Where a patient is dissatisfied with the service provided by the National Health Service, it is right that they should make a complaint. The appropriate mechanism for such a complaint is the Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009. This would include a complaint about parity of esteem.

Mental Health Services

Baroness Hollins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that people experiencing mental health problems, including those with an
	additional learning disability, do not have to wait for longer than 18 weeks to receive appropriate treatment.

Earl Howe: Mental health and well-being is a priority for this Government. We have legislated for parity of esteem between mental and physical health and included it in our Mandate to NHS England. This makes it clear that “everyone who needs it should have timely access to evidence-based services”. This will involve extending and ensuring more open access to programmes.
	In our new five-year plan for mental health, Achieving Better Access to Mental Health Services by 2020, we identified £40 million additional spending this year and freed up a further £80 million for 2015-16. This will, for the first time ever, enable the setting of access and waiting time standards in mental health services, including for people with mental health problems and learning disabilities. The standards will include:
	- treatment within six weeks for 75% of people referred to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, with 95% of people being treated within 18 weeks;- treatment within two weeks for more than 50% of people experiencing a first episode of psychosis; and- £30 million targeted investment will help people in crisis to access effective support in accident and emergency.
	Starting this year, the Department and NHS England will work together with mental health system partners to develop detailed proposals for the introduction of further access and waiting time standards from 2016 onwards.

Mental Illness: Police Custody

Baroness Hollins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made to eliminate the use of police cells as a place of safety for children and adults experiencing a mental health crisis.

Earl Howe: The Government is taking action to prevent the inappropriate use of police cells as a place of safety under the Mental Health Act 1983.
	The Government has an ambition to reduce this practice by 50% this year – and to see how police and health colleagues can work together so that it does not happen at all to children and young people.
	Last year the number of people taken to police cells as places of safety fell significantly, from 8,667 in 2011-12 to 6,028 in 2013-14. The police have told us that between the six months of April and September this year there have been 2,282 such cases – which, if maintained over the rest of the year, would result in a further 24% decrease in use of cells over last year. At the same time the use of health-based places of safety increased by 3,019 uses between 2012-13 and 2013-14.
	This puts us well on track to achieve our aim of reducing the 2011-12 figure of 8,667 uses of police cells by half in 2014-15.
	There was a small reduction of 10% in the numbers of children who were taken to a police cell as a place of safety – for 2013-14 this happened in 236 cases, and for 2012-13 this happened in 263 cases.
	In February, we published a Crisis Care Concordat to make sure people in crisis get the help they need. All localities are working together to complete local crisis declarations agreed by all the local relevant agencies, by the end of the year.
	The concordat states a clear expectation that “police custody is never used as a place of safety” for under-18s, except in very exceptional circumstances where a police officer makes the decision that immediate safety of a child or young person requires it.
	In conjunction with the Home Office, the Department of Health has conducted a review of Section 135 and Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983. This was published on 18 December 2014.
	The new Children and Young People's Mental Health and Well-Being Taskforce will also be looking at the issue of under 18s being detained in police custody as part of its Access and Prevention work.

Mesothelioma

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Lord Faulks on 9 December (HL Deb, col 1710), what evidence they have for the assertion that a lack of good research proposals is deterring research into mesothelioma and that there are no problems concerning availability of funding.

Earl Howe: The Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) have been receiving high quality research applications in mesothelioma. The Government is implementing a package of measures to stimulate an increase in the volume of applications and funded research in mesothelioma.
	In the last five financial years (2009-10 to 2013-14) the MRC has received 10 applications for grants or fellowships that relate to research on mesothelioma. Of these 10 applications four were successful resulting in a success rate of 40%. This is higher than the overall success rate for applications to the MRC which during the same period has been between 20% and 25%.
	In the last five financial years, 11 applications relating to mesothelioma have been submitted to research programmes managed by the NIHR. Of these 11 applications four were successful resulting in a success rate of 36%. Success rates for NIHR-managed programmes are available on the NIHR website and are typically lower than 36%.

Middle East

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they assess the effectiveness of the various United Nations agencies trying to meet the urgent needs of refugees and displaced people in northern Iraq and around the frontiers of Syria; and in particular whether they consider that enough authority is locally devolved.

Baroness Northover: DFID closely monitors the effectiveness of UN agencies in meeting the urgent needs of displaced people in Northern Iraq and around the frontiers of Syria, including through our field team. The UK is supporting the UN to scale up operations – including through funding key staff positions in agency field offices – to strengthen the UN’s presence at a local level.

Middle East

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what priority they are giving to negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: There remains an urgent need for negotiations to agree a durable ceasefire agreement, which tackles the underlying problems of the conflict in Gaza. We were disappointed that it was not possible for the Cairo negotiations to resume as planned on 27 October, due to the terrorist attack in the Sinai. We are urging the parties to ensure that these resume quickly.

Middle East

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take regarding Israel’s occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Middle East Peace Process continues to be one of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s principal foreign policy priorities. Only a negotiated two-state solution will resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once and for all and end the occupation. The UK stands ready to do all it can to support this goal.

Middle East

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to protect the viability of the two state solution, in the light of Israel’s plans on settlement expansions.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Discussions are underway in Brussels on what further measures the EU could take to discourage further settlement expansion. As the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions of 17 November made clear, the UK and other EU Member States are deeply concerned by recent developments, are closely monitoring the situation and its broader implications, and remain ready to take further action in order to protect the viability of the two state solution.

Middle East

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of civilian casualties caused by air strikes against ISIS by Western forces.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The coalition, which includes a number of regional partners, as well as “western” nations, takes every possible precaution to avoid civilian casualties, unlike the ISIL terrorists who show no respect for human rights or human life within the territory they control. Coalition targets are selected with the utmost care, the times of attack are carefully chosen and precision guided weapons are used. We are not aware of UK strikes causing civilian casualties.

Middle East

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the treatment of homosexuals in Middle East countries, in particular in (1) Israel, (2) the Palestinian Territories, and (3) Gaza.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government's clear message is that human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people.
	We believe that the international community must address all forms of discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and we must also promote respect for diversity. Work in combating violence and discrimination against LGBT people forms an important part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's wider international human rights work.
	The British Embassy in Tel Aviv has marched in the Gay Pride parades in Tel Aviv over recent years. At this year's march, Her Majesty's Ambassador to Israel spoke at the large public gathering and referred to Israel becoming a more tolerant society over the past decade.
	We are deeply concerned about the treatment of the LGBT community in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, particularly in Gaza where they are subject to widespread social discrimination for cultural and religious reasons. Homosexuality remains a taboo subject in the OPTs. In some places, such as Ramallah, these taboos are relaxed, but in more conservative areas the situation is very challenging. There are no laws protecting LGBT people, however, we are not aware of any recent legal cases being prosecuted against LGBT people.

Middle East

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to protect the viability of the two-state solution, in the light of the statement by the Hamas leadership on 14 December that they are intent on the destruction of Israel.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We condemn the statement by senior Hamas leader, Khalil al-Hayya, on 14 December claiming that “the illusion of Israel will be removed” by Hamas' military wing.
	The Government's policy on Hamas has not changed and is clear: Hamas must renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept previously signed agreements. We believe that only a negotiated two-state solution will resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once and for all and end the occupation.

Military Aircraft

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how long they estimate it will take to procure an armed long-range anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance capability, based on a manned aircraft, after the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review has been completed.

Lord Astor of Hever: The time it would take to acquire such an aircraft would depend on the platform selected, the availability of funding, and commercial arrangements. It is therefore not possible to provide a specific timeline.

Military Aircraft

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Air ISTAR Optimisation Study included any evidence-based analysis of any capability gap left by the scrapping of the Nimrod replacement programme.

Lord Astor of Hever: Yes. The evidence gathered by the study will permit informed decisions to be made during the next Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Military Aircraft

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what analysis has been conducted to establish the potential systems and cost benefits of including a long-range maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft in the United Kingdom strategic deterrent system or systems.

Lord Astor of Hever: We have performed a number of assessments of the potential impact that a maritime patrol aircraft might have on the security of the strategic deterrent system. The potential contribution of such aircraft to the maintenance of continuous at-sea deterrence is well understood.
	I am withholding further information as its disclosure would or would likely prejudice national security.

Military Aircraft

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what platforms they consider could fill any anti-submarine warfare manned aircraft gap at an acceptable level of technical risk within the timeframe available after the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review; and what assessment they have made of how long it would take to integrate United Kingdom complex weapons into such platforms.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Air ISTAR Optimisation Study included any analysis of the comparative whole-life costs across all Defence Lines of Development of deploying the different solutions to any maritime surveillance and long-range anti-submarine warfare capability gap.

Lord Astor of Hever: The information requested is not available, as typically such questions are addressed at a later stage in a procurement cycle. A decision on whether to acquire a new capability will not be made until the next Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Minimum Wage

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many visits were made to employers in each year from 2010 to 2013 and in the first nine months of 2014 to check that the minimum wage was being properly paid; and what were the results of those checks in each of those years.

Lord Deighton: The Government takes the enforcement of National Minimum Wage very seriously and has increased the financial penalty percentage from 50% to 100% of the unpaid wages owed to workers, and the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £20,000. These new limits are now in force where arrears are identified in pay reference periods on or after 7 March 2014. The Government will also bring in primary legislation as soon as possible so that the maximum £20,000 penalty can apply to each underpaid worker.
	HMRC reviews every complaint that is referred to it, investigating the complaint and, in addition, carrying out targeted enforcement where we identify a high risk of non-payment of NMW.
	HMRC record completed investigations but these do not include details of the numbers of visits. Some investigations may require several visits and others may be completed without any. HMRC completed 1455 investigations last year identifying record arrears of over £4.6 million. Full details for 2010 to 2014 are contained in the table below. We do not typically disclose results mid-way through a year; this is because the results have not been internally verified.
	
		
			 Year 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Arrears £3,818,396 £3,582,685 £3,974,008 £4,645,547 
			 Investigations 2,904 2,534 1,693 1,455 
			 Cases with arrears 1,140 968 736 680

Money Laundering: EU Action

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the progress of current negotiations on the proposed 4th European Union Directive on
	money laundering as regards risk assessment and consequent enhanced due diligence for United Kingdom Politically Exposed Persons.

Lord Deighton: The Government has advocated a risk-based approach to “politically exposed persons” domestically, through negotiations on the Directive.
	In the UK, this would require treating UK PEPs, such as UK Parliamentarians, on the basis of risk when undertaking customer due diligence. Enhanced due diligence would only apply if the business relationship is assessed as high risk.
	Political agreement between the Presidency, the European Parliament and the Commission on the Directive was reached on 16 December. We expect the Italian Presidency to provide further details shortly.

Muscular Dystrophy: Drugs

Lord Walton of Detchant: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have withdrawn approval of the drug Translarna, introduced for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, despite the preliminary results achieved in some patients in trials in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Earl Howe: The Government has not withdrawn any approvals for Translarna (ataluren).
	We understand that a draft clinical commissioning policy to cover the use of Translarna for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy is currently going through NHS England's standard development and decision making processes.
	NHS England remains committed to ensuring that a timely decision is made about this treatment as one of a range of investment proposals that has been put forward for the 2015-16 financial year.
	NHS England continues to keep the range of services and treatments available to patients under review as new evidence and expert guidance becomes available.

National Insurance Contributions

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many additional part-time workers, by gender, currently earning between £3,000 a year and the current lower earnings limit they estimate would, by virtue of their earnings, fall within the National Insurance system should the lower earnings limit be reduced to £3,000 and at what gross cost to the Exchequer; how many of those additional part-time workers, by gender, earning between £3,000 a year and the lower earnings limit would currently be credited into the National Insurance system; and what, taking into account existing crediting arrangements, would be the net cost of reducing the lower earnings limit to £3,000.

Lord Deighton: The information is not available.

Naturalisation

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applicants for naturalisation demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of the English language because they had obtained an academic qualification (not being a professional or vocational qualification), which is deemed by the United Kingdom National Recognition Information Centre to meet the recognised standard of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or PhD in the United Kingdom.

Lord Bates: Information on how many applicants for naturalisation demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of English by providing an academic qualification which is deemed by UK NARIC to meet the standard of a UK degree is not aggregated in national reporting systems. This information could only be obtained by a disproportionately expensive manual case by case search to collate the data.

Naturalisation

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether an applicant for naturalisation is exempt from satisfying the English language requirement if the applicant can prove a knowledge of Welsh or Scots Gaelic at a minimum level of Bachelor of Arts on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Lord Bates: An individual applying for naturalisation is required to demonstrate their knowledge of language and life in the UK. The British Nationality (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 specify how that requirement may be satisfied, which does not include demonstrating proficiency in either Welsh or Scottish Gaelic. The ability to speak to and understand the wider community is key to integration. As English is the language spoken throughout the UK, an ability to speak English enables interaction wherever an individual chooses to live. Therefore, a person can only meet this part of the knowledge of language and life requirement by demonstrating speaking and listening proficiency in English.

Neurology

Lord Walton of Detchant: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they propose to respond to the survey of Acute Neurology Services issued by the Association of British Neurologists in December; and what action they plan to take to ensure that clearly defined quality standards in acute neurology are achieved evenly throughout the United Kingdom in the near future.

Earl Howe: NHS England recognises that, as this report from the Association of British Neurologists (ABN) shows, there is room for improvement in the way neurology services are delivered in acute settings. It has been working with the ABN, the Neurological Alliance, the National Clinical Director for Neurological Conditions and representatives from the Strategic Clinical Networks to develop a framework for improving neurology standards within acute settings.
	The aim of this framework, which is in the process of being developed, is to help patients and their carers understand what standard of care they should expect, and to support clinicians, National Health Service staff, commissioners and others in the NHS and elsewhere that are responsible for the care of people with neurological conditions to understand how Acute services can be better delivered.
	Neurological care in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is matter for the devolved administrations of those countries.

New Towns

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how their plans for new Garden Cities differ in comparison to the original concept.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: There is no difference. Our locally-led Garden Cities prospectus, published in April, offered a package of support to localities wishing to bring forward new high quality, well designed new communities which put the resident at the heart of planning. As stated in that prospectus, the Government does not wish to impose a set of detailed development principles on localities taking forward new garden cities, but will instead work with localities to support them in developing and delivering their own vision.

NHS England

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total number of staff employed by NHS England, their grades and their total cost.

Earl Howe: The total number of whole time equivalent (WTE) staff employed by NHS England as of November 2014 is 5605.47 and their total cost for 2014-15 is £312,897,165. The split by grade can be seen in the following table.
	
		
			 Salary Band Worked WTE paid in Nov-14 Actual Apr to Nov and estimate Dec 14 to Mar 15 £ 
			 Admin & Clerical band 2 373.70 7,964,906 
			 Admin & Clerical band 3 424.80 10,239,492 
			 Admin & Clerical band 4 591.76 15,162,179 
			 Admin & Clerical band 5 376.52 11,885,462 
			 Admin & Clerical band 6 229.14 8,938,141 
			 Admin & Clerical band 7 164.83 7,770,548 
			 Band 5 263.21 8,269,730 
			 Band 6 306.32 10,902,343 
			 Band 7 462.47 20,659,007 
			 Band 8A 566.74 31,793,887 
			 Band 8B 588.63 39,383,822 
			 Band 8C 389.43 30,474,862 
			 Band 8D 316.72 32,087,072 
			 Band 9 245.17 30,376,967 
			 Consultant 53.35 6,267,998 
			 General Practitioners 2.73 405,083 
			 Locum Speciality Registrar 0.00 32,893 
			 Pharmacy band 4 1.00 22,135 
			 Pharmacy band 7 1.00 48,129 
			 Pharmacy band 8A 0.80 40,374 
			 Pharmacy band 8C 1.00 60,488 
			 Trust Scale (Medical) 2.94 1,077,426 
			 Very Senior Managers 243.21 39,034,221 
			 Grand Total 5605.47 312,897,165

NHS England Specialised Commissioning Task Force

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the full terms of reference of the NHS England specialised commissioning task force review, particularly in respect of its work relating to the funding and commissioning of treatments for rare diseases.

Earl Howe: The aim of the specialised commissioning taskforce is to improve ways of working and to ensure that specialised commissioning is undertaken in the most efficient and effective way possible.
	Within the task force work programme there are specific projects. A number of the work streams are relevant to the funding of all specialised services, of which rare diseases will be an element.
	NHS England provides regular updates on the work of the taskforce to external and internal stakeholders every 3-4 weeks. There are also briefings given at key
	meetings and to key groups - for example the Patient and Public Voice Assurance Group. Updates can be found on the NHS England website.

NHS England Specialised Commissioning Task Force

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the NHS England specialised commissioning task force will take into account the outcome of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence review of the process for evaluating highly specialised technologies.

Earl Howe: The Rare Diseases Advisory Group (RDAG) makes recommendations to NHS England and the devolved administrations of NHS Scotland, NHS Wales and NHS Northern Ireland on issues related to highly specialised services.
	RDAG makes recommendations to the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group about how highly specialised services should be commissioned.
	RDAG receives recommendations from Clinical Reference Groups set up by NHS England, and in addition formulates its advice by calling on sources of sound evidence from outside the National Health Service, such as professional bodies and patient groups.
	RDAG will respond to consultations issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Highly Specialised Technology Programme, and provide advice to NHS England and the devolved administrations on the most appropriate services to deliver those highly specialised technologies that receive a positive technology appraisal determination from NICE.

NHS: Negligence

Lord Sharkey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much has been paid out by the National Health Service in settlement of clinical negligence claims both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the NHS budget in each of the last ten years for which data are available.

Earl Howe: The Department does not hold complete information on this centrally, as each National Health Service body is responsible for handling its own litigation except where they have the claims processed under the statutory NHS indemnity schemes, which are administered by the NHS Litigation Authority (NHS LA) on behalf of the Secretary of State. However, the vast majority of litigation claims against the NHS are handled by the NHS LA, and costs met from its schemes.
	The following table shows the payments paid out by the NHS LA in settlement of clinical negligence claims both in absolute terms and as a percentage of the Department’s total departmental expenditure limit (TDEL) in each of the last ten years for which data are available.
	Payments made by NHS LA in respect of clinical negligence claims against the NHS:
	
		
			 Year Total Payments (TDEL) Outturn Percentage 
			  £’000 £’000  
			 2004-05 502,893 69,000,000 0.7% 
			 2005-06 560,308 76,000,000 0.7% 
			 2006-07 579,390 81,000,000 0.7% 
			 2007-08 633,325 84,000,000 0.8% 
			 2008-09 769,226 91,000,000 0.8% 
			 2009-10 786,991 98,000,000 0.8% 
			 2010-11 863,398 100,000,000 0.9% 
			 2011-12 1,277,372 103,000,000 1.2% 
			 2012-13 1,258,880 105,000,000 1.2% 
			 2013-14 1,192,538 110,000,000 1.1% 
		
	
	Note:
	1. Numbers taken from the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts
	2. During the Spending Review 2010 period (i.e. 2011-12 to 2014-15), there have been two significant Machinery of Government changes to transfer functions and spending from DH to the Department for Communities and Local Government. These changes were only backdated to 2007-08 and therefore the TDEL figures for financial years before this date are not directly comparable.

Non-domestic Rates

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to bring forward proposals to enable small businesses to claim a rates reduction to help them retain staff.

Lord Deighton: At Autumn Statement 2014, the government announced it would double Small Business Rate Relief in England for one year from April 2015, reducing business rates for 575,000 small businesses, with 385,000 paying no rates at all.
	Further, businesses throughout the UK are entitled to a £2,000 Employment Allowance to reduce their employer National Insurance Contributions bill every year. 97 per cent of claimants for the Employment Allowance have been small businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the treatment of disabled people in North Korea.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: As set out in the latest Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Annual Report, there was no evidence of
	improvement in the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 2013, with the possible exception of a marginal improvement in disability rights.
	The DPRK signed the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities in July 2013. We understand that, following revision of its relevant legislation, the DPRK government is aiming to ratify the Convention by the end of 2016.
	During 2014, our Embassy in Pyongyang has worked where possible with international and domestic organisations in the DPRK to promote disability rights and improve the treatment of disabled people. This included supporting a sports and cultural event for disabled children on the “National Day of People with Disability” to raise awareness of disability issues.
	Internationally, we are keeping the spotlight on the DPRK on the range of human rights issues. We strongly supported the recent country resolution on human rights in the UN General Assembly Third Committee.

North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the safety of the families of North Korean refugees who remain in North Korea was considered before the United Kingdom designated South Korea as a safe country of origin for refugees.

Lord Bates: The legal test for designation of a State (or part of a State) is set out in section 94(5) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. A country can be designated if it is “generally safe”, i.e. that persecution or other serious human rights abuses are not widespread and that removal of a person to that State would not in general contravene the UK’s obligations under European Convention on Human Rights. The treatment faced outside of the state (or part of state) by those entitled to reside in it is not a relevant consideration. Any risk faced by the families of refugees would be the same whether the person gets protection in the UK or in South Korea. Even if that risk were different, designation of South Korea is still appropriate because there is, in general, no risk to nationals or residents of that country.

North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Foreign and Commonwealth Office-funded organisations in North Korea pay their in-country partners in North Korean Won or in foreign currency; and how the British Embassy pays its North Korean staff.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Foreign and Commonwealth Office projects in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are usually delivered through international partners, such as the British Council, International Committee of the Red Cross or the Royal United Service Institute. Where we or partners make payments in-country for specific goods or services, this is usually done in euros. Our Embassy in Pyongyang does not pay for project costs in North Korean won.
	The local staff who work at our Embassy in Pyongyang are not directly employed by the Embassy, but employed and assigned by the DPRK government. This arrangement is common to all Embassies and international organisations working in the DPRK. Basic salaries are paid to the DPRK’s General Services Bureau, while allowances, overtime and bonuses are paid directly to individuals. All payments are made in euros.

North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what anti-bribery measures are in place for Foreign and Commonwealth Office-funded organisations working in North Korea in the light of the assessment in Transparency International’s 2014 Corruption Index of corruption among North Korean public officials.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) projects in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are usually delivered through international partners such as the British Council, International Committee of the Red Cross or the Royal United Services Institute. Before we select an implementing partner we carry out relevant due diligence checks, which include, but are not limited to, obtaining assurances about: training provided to staff in relation to reporting bribery and corruption; how those concerns are shared with donors; and what policies and principles and/or procedures the organisation has in place to regulate its own conduct.
	In line with standard FCO project requirements, detailed budgets are required for all projects and these are carefully checked to ensure both in-country and other costs are reasonable. Project implementers are required to provide quarterly financial reports and originals or copies of all invoices and receipts, as well as a Project Completion Report containing a detailed breakdown of all expenditure during the project period. The final payment on any project is only released after submission of a satisfactory Project Completion Report.

North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote the implementation of the recommendations of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations in North Korea, in particular the recommendation that those responsible should be tried for crimes against humanity.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Following the publication of the Commission’s report in February 2014, the UK has worked with the EU and like-minded partners to ensure strong resolutions on DPRK human rights at both the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly, including language condemning the ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights in the DPRK, commending the work of the Commission of Inquiry and encouraging the UN Security Council to consider the relevant conclusions and recommendations of the Commission and take appropriate action to ensure accountability.
	We have also worked to ensure formal discussion of DPRK human rights by the UN Security Council. On 5 December the UK, along with nine other members
	of the Security Council, sent a joint letter to the President of the Security Council, requesting that the situation in the DPRK be placed on the Council’s agenda. A meeting to discuss this new agenda item took place on 22 December. During this first discussion the UK used our intervention to express our concern at the human rights situation in the DPRK and our belief that if the DPRK will not hold human rights violators to account, the international community must be ready to do so. We also underlined that the DPRK authorities bear primary responsibility for protecting human rights and expressed our regret that they have withdrawn the offers of engagement made in the run up to the Third Committee vote.

North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (214687) on 21 November, how many North Korean citizens were able to access United Kingdom-funded small-scale projects focused on human rights, rather than humanitarian goals, throughout 2013.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law forms a core part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s work. We aim to make a difference to people’s lives by helping to build the capacity of governments and civil society to promote and protect human rights across the globe, including where possible within the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The nature of human rights projects means it is difficult to define them in terms of how many people were able to “access” them. For example, in 2013 one project in support of human rights in the DPRK was the funding of the UN Commission of Inquiry to visit London and hear testimony from refugees. No North Korean citizens participated in this project and very few will have heard of the Commission’s report, but this does not mean the project was not a meaningful contribution to human rights in the DPRK.

North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what change will be delivered in North Korea by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office-funded Thomson Foundation project "Inside Out: Working in North Korea to connect its journalists to the internet world", in respect of the unavailability of the internet in that country and the United Nations Commission of Inquiry’s findings on freedom of expression and freedom of information in that country; and what assessment they have made of concerns that North Korean journalists benefiting from the project are members of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) maintains extremely tight control over media and restricts access to foreign broadcasting. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office funded project ‘Inside Out: Working in North Korea to connect its journalists to the internet world’ is an on-going media project which intends to increase interaction between the DPRK and international media
	organisations. The objective is to promote a more open culture of news reporting in line with internationally accepted journalistic norms and technical standards, by encouraging greater discussion and dialogue within DPRK broadcasting. Rather than benefitting the Workers’ Party of Korea, the project seeks to encourage greater interaction between the participants and the outside world.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that sufficient progress was made at the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference; and what progress they can report on identified follow-on actions.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Government believes the Action Plan that resulted from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) 2010 Review Conference, which was agreed by all NPT States Parties, was a success, encompassing over sixty actions related to disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Since the 2010 Review Conference, the UK has taken a variety of steps in support of progress against that Action Plan. Many of these steps were set out in our statements to the 2014 NPT Preparatory Committee, which are available on the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs website at the following link: http://papersmart.unmeetings.org/en/secretariat/unoda/npt/third-session-of¬the-preparatory-committee-2014/statements-(10)/. The UK also published a national report on progress against the Action Plan at the Preparatory Committee; a copy is available in the Library of the House and attached to this response.
	This Answer included the following attachment: UK National Report (UK's national report to the 2014 PrepCom.docx)

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take give a political lead at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference to be held from 28 April to 9 May 2015 in New York, in the light of that conference taking place during the election period.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The UK takes all of its international obligations seriously. We are still developing our approach to next year’s Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, taking account of international developments and consultations with other States Parties. We are also considering the implications for the UK’s approach, given the Review Conference’s concurrent timing with the general election.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what priorities they identified at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty preparatory committee earlier this year that they will pursue at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review itself.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Our officials actively participated in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) 2014 Preparatory Committee, which provided a valuable opportunity to engage with NPT States Parties on priorities for the Review Conference. The Government’s objectives reflect our overall approach to the NPT: we want to agree further progress towards a world free from nuclear weapons and to highlight our actions in support of this; encourage action that will help to contain any threat of proliferation or non-compliance with the NPT; and support the responsible global expansion of civil nuclear industries. We believe that the NPT is the cornerstone of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and we therefore hope that NPT States Parties will be able to agree a consensual outcome balanced across all three mutually-reinforcing pillars to strengthen that position.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they hope to make on Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty next year; and what obstacles they anticipate.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Government will continue to implement the commitment announced in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, to reduce the number of operationally available nuclear warheads to no more than 120 and to reduce our overall nuclear weapon stockpile to no more than 180 by the mid 2020s. We will continue our efforts to build confidence between the Nuclear Weapons States (a fundamental foundation for disarmament). As one of those steps to foster mutual trust and confidence, the UK will host the next conference of P5 Nuclear Weapon States in London in February 2015.
	We will also continue to push for entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and for negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty to start in the Conference on Disarmament. In addition, we will take forward our pioneering research into disarmament verification. We have made clear that our goal is a world without nuclear weapons. This goal has to be approached step by step through further reductions by the two States holding the majority of nuclear weapons and through increased confidence between the Nuclear Weapon States.
	We remain fully committed to these efforts, despite the challenges of the current global security environment.

Nuclear Weapons

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what positive outcomes they can report from the 3rd International Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons which they attended in Vienna.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The UK’s participation in the Conference was welcomed by many states, non-governmental organisations and parliamentarians. At the Conference, officials listened carefully to the participants, who expressed a very wide range of views. Some argued that the way to achieve the goal of a world without nuclear weapons was to ban weapons now or to fix a
	timetable for their elimination. This approach fails to take account of the stability and security which nuclear weapons can help to secure. None of us would gain from a loss of that stability. The UK believes that the UN Disarmament Machinery and the Non-Proliferation Treaty provide the right forum for working towards a world without nuclear weapons.
	Our Ambassador to Austria restated our concern at the humanitarian consequences which could result from the use of nuclear weapons. That is why the UK works extremely hard to prevent the use of nuclear weapons; to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons; and to keep our own nuclear weapons safe and secure. We are also committed to working towards a world without nuclear weapons. In our Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010, the Government undertook to reduce the number of warheads we have by the mid-2020s. However, we shall retain a continuous submarine based deterrent, for as long as the global security situation makes it necessary.
	A copy of the UK intervention at the Conference has been placed in the Library of the House and is attached to this response.
	This Answer included the following attachment:UK intervention at International Conference (HL3607-UK Intervention Vienna HINW.docx)

Nurses

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many students graduated as registered nurses in each of the years from 2010 to 2014.

Earl Howe: The Department does not hold information on the number of students who have graduated as registered nurses.
	The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is responsible for registering nurses. The following table shows the number of nurses who trained in England and registered for the first time with the NMC in each of the last four years.
	Number of nurses who trained in England and registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council for the first time:
	
		
			 Year Number of initial registrations from nurses who have trained in England 
			 1 April 2010 – 31 March 2011 14,216 
			 1 April 2011 – 31 March 2012 13,981 
			 1 April 2012 – 31 March 2013 15,452 
			 1 April 2013 – 31 March 2014 16,657 
		
	
	Source: Nursing and Midwifery Council

Nurses

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many registered nurses were enlisted on the General Medical Council register in each of the years from 2010 to 2014.

Earl Howe: Nurses are not required to register with the General Medical Council (GMC), but are required to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in order to practise as a nurse in the United Kingdom. Both the GMC and the NMC are independent bodies and are responsible for ensuring that their own registers are appropriately maintained.
	The NMC does not collect information on dual registration. The following data, obtained from the NMC, shows the number of entries on the NMC register on 31 March each year since 2010:
	
		
			 Date Nurse Midwife Nurse & SCPHN1 Nurse and Midwife Nurse, Midwife & SCPHN Midwife & SCPHN SCPHN Total 
			 31 March 2010 600,794 26,328 25,375 12,602 667 208 8 665,982 
			 31 March 2011 604,223 26,328 25,643 11,813 612 249 0 668,868 
			 31 March 2012 606,410 28,501 25,467 11,424 539 279 0 672,620 
			 31 March 2013 608,107 29,562 26,084 10,609 533 377 3 675,275 
			 31 March 2014 612,047 30,535 26,961 10,256 514 556 10 680,879 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (SCPHN)

Nurses

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many registered nurses were employed by the National Health Service in each of the years from 2010 to 2014.

Earl Howe: The Health and Social Care Information Centre publishes provisional monthly workforce statistics. The latest available data for September 2014 shows that there are now 313,514 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in the nursing, midwifery and health visiting group.
	The number of registered nurses employed by the National Health Service in each of the years from 2010 to 2014 is included in the following table.
	
		
			 Hospital and Community Health Services: Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting staff 
			 England as at 30 September each year FTE 
			 Staff Group 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 309,139 306,346 305,060 307,692 313,514 
			 of which:  
			 Registered midwife 20,126 20,519 20,935 21,284 21,670 
			 Health visitor 8,017 7,941 8,386 9,109 10,167 
		
	
	Source:
	Health and Social Care Information Centre Provisional Monthly Workforce Statistics for September 2014
	Notes:
	These statistics relate to the contracted positions within English NHS organisations and may include those where the person assigned to the position is temporarily absent, for example on maternity leave.
	In 2011, the bank staff return was ceased. All data (for all years) in these tables excludes bank staff.

Nurses: North East

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address any shortage of nurses in the North East of England; and whether they have considered the implications of the possible failure to renew the contract currently held by Northumbria University for nurse and other related training.

Earl Howe: Health Education North East (HENE) is working closely with the nurse leaders across the region to develop a Nursing Recruitment and Retention Strategy to address the shortage of nurses. The development of the strategy was agreed by HENE’s governing body at its meeting in September 2014.
	HENE has a successful history of working with two high quality providers of nursing education, Northumbria and Teesside Universities, and there is no current intention to terminate either of these annual nursing contracts. Additionally, HENE has begun working with the Open University (OU) to develop future flexible routes into nursing by commissioning extra adult nurse places through the OU programme.
	Health Education England has reached agreement with Universities UK and the Council of Deans on contracts with universities, including Northumbria, for the provision of nurse and other related training.

Nurses: Training

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated cost of training a graduate registered nurse, including on-costs and the student bursary.

Earl Howe: The Personal Social Services Research Unit at the University of Kent estimates that the average cost of training a nurse in 2013 was £78,604. This figure reflects the total cost of training and therefore includes costs funded through the public purse, including the National Health Service bursary, and by the student.

Nutrition

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 17 November (HL2579), which eight supermarkets are currently signed up to the calorie reduction pledge.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 17 November (HL2579), what is the calorie reduction pledge signed up to by eight supermarket chains; whether they have a sugar reduction goal in mind in reference to the pledge; and if so, what it is.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 17 November (HL2579), who is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the supermarkets’ action either to cut sugar or to provide sugar-free or sugar-reduced products.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 17 November (HL2579), in the light of their commitment to reducing obesity, why the partnership with supermarkets in relation to their provision of sugar-free or sugar-reduced products is voluntary and not mandatory.

Earl Howe: The voluntary approach of working with industry is achieving real reductions in calories, including sugar. Examples include:
	- the Co-operative Group taking out added sugar from its high juices, removing 1.5 billion kcals per year; - Tesco removing two billion calories from its juices, following on from the one billion removed in 2012; and
	- Sainsbury’s reducing sugar in its Own Brand chilled juices by 83.5 tonnes a year.The eight supermarkets currently signed up to the calorie reduction pledge are: - Aldi Stores;- ASDA;- the Co-operative Group;- Marks and Spencer;- Morrisons;- Sainsbury’s;- Tesco; and- Waitrose.
	Companies signed up to the calorie reduction pledge have committed to support and enable their customers to eat and drink fewer calories through a range of actions, including product/menu reformulation, reviewing portion sizes, education and information, and actions to shift the marketing mix towards lower calorie options. The emphasis of the pledge is on overall calorie reduction; however, cutting sugar forms an important part of that strategy.
	Companies report each year on their activities to reduce calories, including sugar, and these returns are published on the Responsibility Deal website along with their Delivery Plans. An independent evaluation of the Responsibility Deal is under way and due to report early 2016.

Occupied Territories

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to place restrictions on United Kingdom trade with Israeli settlements.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: There are currently no plans to place restrictions on UK trade with Israeli settlements. The Government has, however, placed advice online to raise awareness of the key security and political risks that UK businesses may face when operating abroad, including in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This includes guidance on Israeli settlements. We are advising British businesses to bear in mind the Government's view on the illegality of settlements under international law when considering their investments and activities in the region.

Occupied Territories

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to prohibit the importation of goods from Israeli settlements to the United Kingdom unless they are certified by the Palestinian Authority under the European Union–Palestine Liberation Organisation Association Agreement.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: There are currently no plans for EU or domestic legislation to ban the import of settlement products. The issue of settlement produce is a subject of ongoing work with our EU partners. This work includes steps to ensure that settlement
	products are correctly labelled to enable consumers to make informed decisions concerning the products they buy.

Offences against Children: Rotherham

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure the protection of vulnerable children, particularly in Rotherham, in the face of recent cuts in the budget of South Yorkshire Police.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have analysed the Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham; and whether the total number of victims cited in that report is based on verifiable data or is an estimate.

Lord Bates: The Government is clear that there is more to be done for victims and to minimise the risk of such terrible events occurring in Rotherham or anywhere else in the future. What happened in Rotherham was a complete dereliction of duty.
	This is why the Home Secretary has been chairing a series of Secretaries of State meetings alongside colleagues from the Ministry of Justice, Department for Education, Communities and Local Government and Department of Health, and the Attorney General and Solicitor General to analyse the failures identified in the Jay report and consider how all parties, including the police and local government, can work together more effectively on the issue of child sexual exploitation to protect vulnerable children and bring offenders to justice.
	This will build on the existing work of the Home Office-led National Group to tackle sexual violence against children and vulnerable people, which is ensuring agencies are working together to better identify those at risk.
	The Jay report made a ‘conservative estimate’ that there were over 1400 victims of CSE during the 15-year period. The 1400 figure was based on a reading of 66 case files, out of a total of 988, and includes some who were forced to watch others being assaulted and abused as well as those who were physically harmed.
	The Government is determined that appalling cases of child abuse should be exposed so that perpetrators face justice and the vulnerable are protected. Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are able to apply for Special Grant if the police force they are responsible for faces an unexpected and exceptional event that places a significant financial burden on the force.

Offences against Children: Rotherham

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking to ensure that South Yorkshire Police carry out the recommendations in the report by Professor Alexis Jay Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham (1997–2013).

Lord Bates: The Home Secretary has written to all chief constables to ask them to take on board the lessons from the Jay report into the failings in Rotherham, and from the rolling HMIC inspections into how forces are protecting children. HMIC’s South Yorkshire Police child protection inspection report was published on 30 September.
	The National Policing Lead for child protection and abuse investigation has taken action to revise the national policing child sexual exploitation action plan to take account of the learning from the Jay report and other recent publications. A series of briefings to police managers across England and Wales, including South Yorkshire Police, have been completed so that the key findings of the Jay Inquiry are shared with frontline leaders across the police service.
	Furthermore, on 13 October it was announced that the Chief Constable for South Yorkshire requested that the National Crime Agency leads an independent investigation into outstanding allegations of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, raised in the Professor Jay Report.

Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe

Lord Bowness: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the outcomes of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Ministerial Council Meeting held in Basel on 4 and 5 December; and what progress was made in the Helsinki +40 process.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement of 15 December 2014 on the outcomes of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) Basel Ministerial Council, made by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), which I repeated in the House of Lords (Official Report, cols. WS5-6). In the Statement, it was noted that a further declaration was agreed on the continuation of the Helsinki +40 process. However, the process in 2014 has largely stalled due to the Ukraine crisis, with only limited discussion of possible efficiency measures. The incoming Serbian OSCE chairmanship has a mandate to continue discussions. But it remains unclear how they can take the process forward while Russia continues to violate core OSCE principles. We continue to focus in the first place on restoring respect for, and implementation of, those commitments.

Outdoor Education

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the main barriers for schools in developing wider learning outside the classroom programmes.

Lord Nash: All schools can choose to include teaching which takes place beyond the school’s premises into their curriculum. The Government does not prescribe to schools how they should teach; instead, it provides them with the freedom to design their own curriculum activities which best support the needs of their pupils.
	When activities are structured and organised effectively, they can provide young people with stimulating experiences which build on the knowledge and understanding they gain through lessons. Learning outside the classroom can also help to build pupils’ character and interpersonal skills.
	Ofsted’s report ‘Learning outside the classroom: How far should you go?’ (2008) reported on barriers to schools’ provision of such activities. The barriers included concerns about health and safety, financial costs, concerns about pupils’ behaviour, and staff workload. The report outlines successful strategies and approaches adopted by schools to overcome such barriers.

Pakistan

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to ensuring that international aid for the purposes of education in Pakistan is not used to further the discrimination of minorities; and whether conditional aid programmes will be implemented in the region.

Baroness Northover: DFID has strong monitoring and third party validation arrangements in place across our education programmes to ensure UK aid is not used in ways that promote prejudice and discrimination against religious or other minorities.

Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have held discussions with the European Union concerning the case for reversing its policy of trying to isolate and topple Hamas, in the light of the analysis of the International Crisis Group.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The EU and the UK have not changed their position on Hamas. The military wing of Hamas has been proscribed since 2001 under UK legislation. On Wednesday 17 December the EU General Court annulled the EU listing of Hamas on procedural grounds. However, the effects of the EU Hamas listing, including asset freezes, remain in place and we will work with partners to ensure that the Hamas listing at the EU is maintained.

Palestinians

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the treatment of Christians in Gaza.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: We understand that there are around 1,300 Christians in Gaza, who are allowed to practise freely, including observing religious holidays.

Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what temporary arrangements have been made for the homeless in Gaza over this and succeeding winters.

Baroness Northover: The UK was one of the biggest donors to Gaza following the recent conflict, providing more than £17 million in emergency assistance to deliver lifesaving food, clean water, shelter and medical assistance. At the Gaza Reconstruction Conference in October, the UK pledged a further £20 million which includes the provision of shelter and basic services for people displaced from their homes. We have disbursed a quarter of this pledge already to help meet the needs of the most vulnerable this winter. DFID is also funding the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism for the import of construction materials into Gaza so that people are able to repair their homes.

Palestinians

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the value to the Palestinian economy of the employment of Palestinians by Israeli companies in the West Bank.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Palestinian Central Bureau for Statistics reports that 23,100 Palestinians from the West Bank are employed in Israeli settlements (statistics for Q2, 2014). We do not have any estimation of the value of this employment to the Palestinian economy. We consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal under international law, regardless of whether Palestinians are employed in companies there or not.

Palestinians

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what efforts they are making to encourage Hamas to co-operate with international aid agencies in the reconstruction of civilian property.

Baroness Northover: Reconstruction in Gaza will require political commitment by all parties, technical capacities for crossings and equipment, the smooth functioning of the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism and adequate financial resources. The UK is providing £0.5 million to the mechanism as part of our pledge for Gaza early recovery and reconstruction. By 10 December, more than 6,000 people had been able to buy building materials. Ultimately, we need to see a
	sustainable solution for Gaza that addresses the underlying issues, and we continue to urge the parties to resume negotiations to that end.

Parkinson’s Disease: Drugs

Baroness Gale: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that people in the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease have access to a full range of treatment options.

Earl Howe: Parkinson’s disease: Diagnosis and management in primary and secondary care, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2006 sets out a range of treatment options for Parkinson’s disease.
	Treatments for Parkinson’s disease are largely drug based. The NICE guidance states that patient preference should be taken into account, once they have been informed of the short and long-term benefits and drawbacks of the different types of drugs available. The guidance makes it clear that other supportive treatments may also be appropriate. These can include physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.

Parkinson’s Disease: Drugs

Baroness Gale: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received about access to Duodopa for people in the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease; and what responses they have made.

Earl Howe: We have received a number of representations from hon. Members, noble Lords, patient groups and members of the public about access to Duodopa for the treatment of advanced Parkinson’s disease on the National Health Service.
	Our responses have made clear that NHS England has responsibility for commissioning adult specialist neurosciences services, including the majority of services for patients with Parkinson’s disease and have set out NHS England’s position on this issue at the time of writing.

Parkinson’s Disease: Drugs

Baroness Howells of St Davids: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect NHS England to take a decision regarding the draft clinical commissioning policy for Duodopa.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how NHS England's decision regarding the draft clinical commissioning policy for Duodopa will be communicated to (1) the public, (2) patient organisations, and (3) healthcare professionals.

Earl Howe: NHS England has advised that its Clinical Priorities Advisory Group recommended that Levodopa-Carbidopa intestinal gel (Duodopa) for advanced Parkinson’s disease should not be routinely commissioned by NHS England at this time. NHS England’s Directly Commissioned Services Committee endorsed this recommendation in June 2014 and agreed that this technology should be considered further through NHS England’s prioritisation process. The decisions of the committee were communicated via a stakeholder newsletter which is accessible both via direct mail, and through the NHS England website.
	Further work has been completed on NHS England’s draft clinical commissioning policy and this is now included in the prioritisation process alongside other new treatments for consideration for 2015-16.
	The decision-making framework for NHS England’s prioritisation process was discussed at its Board meeting on 17 December 2014. The Board agreed the high level principles of the framework and NHS England plans to launch a public consultation about the principles and approach to decision-making from January 2015. Members of the public, patient organisations and healthcare professionals will be able to feed their comments in via this route.
	NHS England continues to keep the range of services and treatments available to patients under review as new evidence and expert guidance becomes available.

Pay

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the recent report of the International Labour Organisation on changes in real wages in the United Kingdom compared to those in other G20 countries.

Lord Deighton: Wage flexibility in the UK has helped support employment levels and household income. The government’s strategy for delivering sustainable increases in living standards is to support economic growth and get more people into work. Since the election the UK has had the fastest employment growth in the G7 (plus Australia). Employment has increased by 1.7 million since the Coalition came to power and this Government has taken decisive action to support working families, by raising the personal allowance, freezing fuel duty, and introducing tax-free childcare.

Pedestrian Crossings

Lord McAvoy: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have given guidance to local authorities regarding the installation of shared space pedestrian crossings.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received any representations regarding the installation of shared space pedestrian crossings.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what statistics they have on the number of accidents where a shared space pedestrian crossing has been installed; and whether those statistics indicate an increase in such accidents.

Baroness Kramer: The design of traffic management schemes, including whether to install a shared space scheme, is the responsibility of local authorities. Shared space may incorporate what are sometimes called ‘courtesy crossings’, but these have no formal definition. They are similar in principle to informal dropped kerb crossings, which can be used to provide a crossing place where a controlled crossing is not justified.
	The Department for Transport’s guidance on shared space schemes is given in the attached Local Transport Note 1/11: Shared Space.
	The Department has also circulated to local authorities guidance produced by the National Federation for the Blind on ‘Access for Blind People in Towns’.
	The Department receives correspondence on issues relating to all aspects of traffic management, including shared space. The correspondents range from individual members of the public to local authorities, engineering practitioners, and campaign groups.
	The Department’s road safety statistics do not record whether an incident took place on a courtesy crossing, as these are not defined.
	This answer contained the following attachment: Local Transport Note 1/11 (HL3699 - Local Transport Note 1-11.pdf)

Peers

Lord Hoyle: To ask the Chairman of Committees (1) how many Members of the House of Lords are over 70 years of age in each of the following categories: Conservative; Labour; Liberal Democrat; other, and (2) on average, how many Members attend the House each week.

Lord Sewel: There are 128 Conservative Peers, 122 Labour Peers, 45 Liberal Democrat Peers, 101 Crossbench Peers and 19 other Peers over 70 years of age.
	The Administration does not collect average weekly attendance figures but the average daily attendance in this Session is 479.

Pensions: Tax Allowances

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current annual cost to the Exchequer of tax relief at the standard and higher rates of tax respectively on contributions to private pensions.

Lord Deighton: Tax relief on pension contributions is the primary means by which the Government incentivises saving for retirement. The estimated exchequer cost arising from income tax relief on contributions made to private pensions and relief on the investment returns to private pensions in 2012-13 was £34.8bn[1]. Income tax on pensions in payment in the same year was £12.0bn, resulting in a net cost of pensions tax relief of £22.8bn in 2012-13.
	This is published in HMRC National Statistics table PEN6, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/ registered-pension-schemes-cost-of-tax-relief Figures for 2012-13 are the latest available.

Post Offices

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the reduction in the Post Office network on its ability to meet its obligation to provide a universal postal service.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: This Government has committed to there being no programme of Post Office closures. Furthermore since October 2014, and the launch of Post Office’s home shopping returns pilot which has seen approximately 150 new postal access points open across the UK, the network is now growing for the first time in more than 50 years.
	Royal Mail and the Post Office are separate independent businesses and it is Royal Mail, not the Post Office, which is the company that has been designated as the UK’s universal postal service provider.
	The Post Office acts as an agent of Royal Mail, providing access to its mail products and services through its national network under commercial contract. The Post Office provides access to a wide range of other services including Government, financial and telephony.
	The Government understands the important role that post offices play in communities across the country and since 2010 has committed nearly £2 billion to maintain, modernise and protect a network of at least 11,500 branches that continues to meet strict access criteria that see, for example, 95% of the urban population living within one mile of a post office outlet.

Prison Sentences

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the budget for providing courses for indeterminate sentence prisoners convicted of (1) sex offences, and (2) other offences, in each of the last three years.

Lord Faulks: The National Offender Management Service’s central accounting system does not separately identify details of budgets allocated for the provision of courses for all prisoners serving indeterminate sentence, or by conviction categories. Budgets associated with such expenditure are primarily met through establishment baseline funding and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost by examining locally held records at each establishment, disaggregating and then collating the costs that relate to the relevant categories of offenders and courses.
	There is no set departmental guidance on the proportional allocation of individual budgets. Prison budgets are compiled annually based on an assessment of operational business needs and may vary from year to year according to changes in departmental priorities.

Prisons: Publications

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to comply with the High Court ruling that the ban on sending books to prisoners in England and Wales is unlawful.

Lord Faulks: We need to await the terms of the Court Order before we can decide how best to fulfil the ruling of the Court.
	The judgment in this case was surprising, as there was never a specific ban on books. The restrictions on parcels have been in existence across most of the prison estate for many years and for very good reasons. Prisoners have access to the same library service as the rest of us, and can buy books through the prison shop.

Private Equity

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to introduce any further transparency requirements for companies owned or substantially owned by private equity funds.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Measures to create a central, public register of people with significant control over UK companies
	are contained within the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill. Where a private equity fund owns more than 25% of a UK company’s shares or voting rights – or otherwise exercises significant control over that company - the company will need to disclose information on the control of the fund in line with the requirements in Schedule 3 of the Bill.
	The Government does not have any plans to introduce any further transparency requirements on such companies.

Private Equity

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received any representations from investors in private equity funds on the increase in fees paid by portfolio companies to the operators of the funds and not to the funds where investors would benefit.

Lord Deighton: Treasury Ministers and officials receive regular correspondence on a wide range of issues. We cannot disclose details of specific representations.

Public Expenditure

Lord Davies of Stamford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the underspend of the Ministry of Defence in the financial years 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14 and prospectively in 2014–15; and how much of the underspend in each of those years has been rolled forward and made available for additional spending by the Ministry of Defence in subsequent years.

Lord Astor of Hever: Comparable figures for financial year 2010-11 are not available as the Government had not, at that time, introduced The Clear of Line Sight initiative, which precludes analysis on a near cash basis for that financial year.
	In 2011-12 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) underspent by £300 million and there was no budget exchange.
	In 2012-13 the MOD underspent by £2.3 billion; £590 million was rolled forward into 2013-14, £1,706 million into 2014-15 and £21 million in 2015-16.
	In 2013-14 the MOD underspent by £900 million, £100 million was rolled forward into 2014-15 and £700 million in 2015-16.
	The MOD's final outturn for 2014-15 will not be available until the end of the financial year.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the value of Barnett consequentials paid to the Northern Ireland Executive for the last three years for which figures are available.

Lord Deighton: Since Spending Review 2010, the Northern Ireland Executive has received additional allocations following the application of the Barnett Formula. The cumulative amounts are set out in the table below.
	
		
			 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 
			 £m £m £m 
			 62 140 221

Public Footpaths

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to protect footpaths and rights of way in England.

Lord De Mauley: Local highway authorities are responsible for protecting the rights of the public to use footpaths and other rights of way. They are also responsible for determining their own local spending priorities. However, we have recently completed the £2 million Paths for Communities Programme, creating 53.28 kilometres of new bridleway and 21.42 kilometres of new footpath—in total over 74 kilometres of new public rights of way.
	We are also introducing a balanced package of rights of way reforms as part of the Deregulation Bill. Those reforms will significantly improve the processes for recording and altering the public rights of way network. The reforms make the procedures more streamlined and will help complete the definitive map and statement by the 2026 cut-off date, thereby protecting historical public rights of way from extinguishment.

Public Sector: Car Allowances

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which groups of employees in the public sector are reimbursed for official use of private cars at a higher rate than 45 pence per mile and why.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Cabinet Office does not hold the information requested.
	In the Civil Service, departments and agencies have delegated authority to determine their own policy on the reimbursement of travel expenses incurred by their staff on official business, subject to the rules in Chapter 8 of the Civil Service Management Code: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-servants-terms-and-conditions

Public Sector: Pay

Baroness Seccombe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the annual cost of paying the Living Wage across the public sector.

Lord Deighton: The Government does not have an estimate of the cost of applying the living wage across the public sector.
	The Government supports all employers who choose to pay the living wage and encourages businesses to pay the living wage where it is affordable.
	For the pay review body workforces and central government the majority of pay scale points are above the living wage.

Public Sector: Pensions

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the total United Kingdom public pension liability.

Lord Deighton: The 2012-13 Whole of Government Accounts show that the annual spend on public state pensions was £83.8bn, up from £78.1bn in 2011-12.

Pupil Exclusions: Disability

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government , for each year since 2010, what percentage of exclusions from (1) maintained schools, and (2) academy schools, related to disabled pupils with or without statements.

Lord Nash: The Department for Education does not publish information on exclusions of pupils with special education needs (SEN) for academies.
	Information for state-funded schools is published in the “Permanent and fixed-period exclusions in England: 2012 to 2013” Statistical First Release. This information is published online at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england-2012-to-2013
	Table 9 gives a time series of the number of permanent exclusions of pupils with SEN. Tables 10a and 10b show the number of fixed-period exclusions of pupils with SEN and the number of pupils with SEN with one or more fixed- period exclusion, respectively. Data for earlier years can be found in the “Statistics: exclusions”
	series. This information is published online at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-exclusions

Pupil Exclusions: Disability

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government , for each year since 2010 what was the average time for (1) a permanently excluded disabled pupil with a Special Educational Need (SEN), and (2) a permanently excluded disabled pupil without SEN, to be accepted at another school.

Lord Nash: The Department for Education does not collect information regarding the length of time it takes for an excluded pupil to be accepted at another school.

Qatar

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of the ill-treatment of North Korean labourers working in building World Cup facilities in Qatar; and whether they have raised those reports with the government of Qatar.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: We are aware of reports of the ill-treatment of North Korean labourers working in Qatar. We take the issue of the treatment of migrant workers very seriously. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), recently raised human rights issues with the Qatari Government during his visit to Doha on 15 October, and the issue of migrant workers was raised with the Emir of Qatar during his visit to the UK on 28 to 30 October. We support Qatar’s intention to reform the current labour law and we continue to encourage the Qatari Government to address human rights concerns and stand ready to support those efforts where we can.

Rare Diseases Advisory Group

Lord Walton of Detchant: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish a report on the work of the Rare Diseases Advisory Group, indicating the extent to which its recommendations have influenced the decisions of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England.

Earl Howe: The Rare Diseases Advisory Group (RDAG) was established by NHS England to provide it and the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with consistent advice on developing and implementing the strategy for rare diseases and highly specialised services. The RDAG is
	directly accountable to the NHS England Clinical Priorities Advisory Group. The group’s terms of reference state that the agendas and minutes from their meetings are available on the NHS England website. The Department has no plans to publish any further reports on RDAG’s work.
	The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) develops its guidance independently, based on the available evidence and in consultation with stakeholders. NICE is a full member of RDAG. NHS England is a stakeholder in all NICE’s highly specialised technology guidance and may seek advice from the RDAG in engaging with NICE’s guidance development processes.

Rare Diseases Advisory Group

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they have received from NHS England’s Rare Diseases Advisory Group.

Earl Howe: The Rare Diseases Advisory Group was established in March 2014 by NHS England. It was set up to provide NHS England and the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with consistent advice on developing and implementing the strategy for rare diseases and highly specialised services. The Department has not received any advice from the group.

Regeneration Investment Organisation

Lord Kinnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for further development of the Regeneration Investment Organisation over (1) the next two years, (2) the next five years, and (3) the next 10 years.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: UKTI’s Regeneration Investment Organisation (RIO) was established a year ago to help international investors identify and fund regeneration opportunities in the UK. RIO was established to address the delays and the fragmentation of the current offer for international investors, acting as a “one stop shop”.
	In its first year, RIO has identified a pipeline of 41 ‘shovel ready’ projects requiring £33bn of investment and actively markets this pipeline to international investors. Over the next two years, this pipeline will be developed further and RIO will identify additional international investors to match to the pipeline of opportunities.
	Success for RIO over the next five to ten years will be to have established a track record of successful investment in regeneration projects, enabling sustainable jobs and growth across the UK.

Revenue and Customs: Northern Ireland

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the cost to the Exchequer incurred in training HM Revenue and Customs officers in Northern Ireland in the use of vehicle stop and search powers in each of the last five years.

Lord Deighton: A cadre of officers has been trained to use vehicle stop and search powers. There is no estimate available of the cost.

RSPCA

Viscount Astor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the legal aid budget in 2012, 2013 and 2014 has been spent reimbursing the RSPCA.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the legal aid budget has been spent on reimbursing defendants in RSPCA private prosecutions in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Lord Faulks: The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has no record of any payments being made relating to the RSPCA in the years in question.

RSPCA

Viscount Astor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times in 2012, 2013 and 2014 the Crown Prosecution Service has either taken over or forced discontinuation of a private prosecution brought by the RSCPA.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain an authoritative central record of the number of private prosecutions taken over. To identify the exact number of times the CPS took over or forced the discontinuation of a private prosecution brought by the RSPCA would require a manual exercise to review individual files which would incur a disproportionate cost.

RSPCA

Viscount Astor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times Ministers in the Ministry of Justice have met RSPCA representatives in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Lord Faulks: All meetings that take place between Ministers and external organisations are recorded in quarterly transparency statistics, published at the link below; https://www.gov.uk/

Russia

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to discuss with the government of Russia the issues of freedom of expression and variety of opinions in the media there, in the light of the proposed closure of the last independent television station in that country.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: A law banning commercial advertising on paid cable and satellite television channels in Russia will come into force on 1 January 2015. Commentators have suggested that this law will make it difficult for independent television station, Dozhd, to survive. Increasing pressure on independent journalists and news outlets in Russia, including Dozhd, is of great concern. We regularly make our concerns clear in bilateral interactions at all levels. Most recently, I raised concerns about restrictions on the freedom of expression in Russia with the Russian Ambassador on 25 November. In October, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington) also raised concerns about this issue with the Russian Ambassador, highlighting the negative impact of restrictive legislation on the freedom of the media.

Russia

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report from Human Rights Watch on the effect of the 2013 law banning gay “propaganda” in Russia on the incidence of homophobic attacks and on the reaction to crimes against LGBT citizens, what representations they have made to the government of Russia about the status of LGBT citizens of that country.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have raised concerns about LGBT rights in Russia bilaterally at a number of levels since the law banning the promotion of “non-traditional sexual relations” among minors was passed in June 2013. Most recently, the Minister for Europe discussed concerns about the protection of LGBT people in Russia with the Russian Ambassador on 18 December. He expressed deep disquiet at the findings of the Human Rights Watch report and the impact of the law on the LGBT community in Russia. FCO officials also raised the safety of participants at LGBT events with the Russian authorities in November.
	FCO officials in Russia meet regularly with LGBT activists and attend LGBT events, such a Queerfest and the Side-by-Side Film Festival, to provide support. This year we are supporting the operation of a counselling hotline for the LGBT community in Russia, as well as a capacity building project for Russian LGBT campaigners. We also supported the Russian Open Games in February, a five day international sporting event organised by the Russian LGBT Sports Federation.

Schools: Drinks

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the health and behavioural effects of the sale of sugar-based drinks in schools.

Lord Nash: The Department for Education has made no formal assessment of the health and behavioural effects of the sale of sugar-based drinks in schools.
	Widely available public health evidence is used to underpin statutory school food standards, which bar the provision of drinks with significant quantities of sugar.
	Revised standards come into force from January 2015 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food).

Schools: Registration

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of unregistered schools in England; in which local authority area or areas they are primarily located; how many unregistered schools have been compelled to register in each of the past three years; and what action can be taken to close non-compliant schools and place those pupils affected in more appropriate learning environments.

Baroness Garden of Frognal: The Department for Education does not have a fixed estimate of the number of unregistered schools in England or the areas in which they are primarily located. The number of institutions that the Department is aware of and working with fluctuates on a continual basis as they open, close or become registered.
	In the last three years the Department has asked 33 unregistered schools to register. There were 9 requests in 2012; 16 in 2013 and 8 in 2014.
	It is a criminal offence to operate an unregistered school. Where a school refuses to register, the Department works with the police and Ofsted to pursue a prosecution. The Department also works with the local authority to ensure that children are placed in more appropriate settings.

Social Security Benefits

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many and what proportion of those affected by the benefit cap since its introduction are in receipt of (1) Employment Support Allowance, (2) Income Support, and (3) Carer’s Allowance.

Lord Freud: The latest official statistics on the benefit cap can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-august-2014
	These statistics do not contain benefit type information. A suite of evaluation was published on 15 December 2014. This evaluation made estimates of the proportion of capped households in scope for the cap who were in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support (IS), Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or other benefit types over time. The evaluation uses a different methodology to the Official Statistics and does not provide a cumulative count of numbers which is in line with Official Statistics. In July 2014 (the most recent data used in the evaluation), estimates found 23 per cent of capped claimants were in receipt of ESA; 45 per cent of capped claimants were in receipt of IS; and 9 per cent were in receipt of another benefit type, of which modelling suggests around 1,400 households had at least one Carer’s Allowance claimant.
	Further information can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-evaluation
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-review-of-the-first-year

Social Services: Training

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total budget allocated by each appropriate department to support the education and training of non-regulated care staff in each of the last three years.

Earl Howe: Information on the total expenditure on education and training of the adult social care workforce is not available centrally.
	It is the responsibility of individual social care employers to ensure their staff are appropriately trained and competent to carry out their role. The Department of Health has supported employers to train their staff through the sponsorship of Skills for Care, the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) and the National Skills Academy for Social Care.
	Funding to develop the social care workforce (both regulated and non-regulated) has been made available to these organisations as follows:
	
		
			 Financial Year £ million 
			 2012-13 £27.8 
			 2013-14 £31.3 
			 2014-15 £30.7 
		
	
	Notes:
	Figures include some social work programmes and in the case of SCIE are funding for e-learning only. The Department does not hold figures for non-regulated care staff only.

Sports: Tickets

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking in the Consumer Rights Bill to ensure that sports fans buying tickets through secondary markets have a right to basic information about the seat and row they have on their ticket for a sporting event; whether they consider that fans should have a right to know the original face value of a ticket; and whether they consider that they should have an opportunity to ascertain whether the ticket is genuine by being able to review essential details on the ticket with the box office.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: As the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and associated guidance make clear. The provision of certain information on tickets offered for sale to the public is an existing requirement for traders (including “for a ticket associated with a particular reserved seat (e.g. Seat 1, Row A) the seat number”).
	However, since Report Stage I have been discussing these issues with Ministerial colleagues and interested parties, and will continue to do so, in order to ensure the genuine concerns of fans and ticket sellers are addressed.

St Helena

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in securing direct air access to St Helena.

Baroness Northover: The UK Government is providing support to the air service procurement process that is currently underway and run by the St Helena Government.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the changes in the rate of the stamp duty on the prices of houses worth less than £1 million.

Lord Deighton: The reform to Stamp Duty Land Tax on residential properties will have a limited impact on house prices overall and this effect will be small compared to overall fluctuations in house prices.

Stem Cells

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government , further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 4 December (HL3090), whether the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee and its Licence Committee will provide their own assessment of the journal articles concerned in order to ensure that the continued use of embryos is necessary or desirable for the specified principal purposes; how they consider the feasibility of treating degenerative conditions such as those listed in Annex D of the mitochondrial donation consultation document might be affected by the findings in the aforementioned journal articles; for how long the research project concerned has been investigating the use of embryonic stem cells “to improve the outcome of infertility treatments”; and in what ways their possible clinical use in treating infertility might impel the Secretary of State to include things specified in the regulations which would not otherwise fall within the definitions of “embryo”, “eggs”, “sperm” or “gametes”.

Earl Howe: We are advised by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) that its Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee (SCAAC) regularly reviews the literature regarding alternative methods to derive human embryonic stem cells so that the HFEA Licence Committee can bear it in mind when considering research licence applications and renewals of licences, in order to ensure that the continued use of embryos is necessary or desirable for the specified principal purposes. SCAAC last considered a literature review on this topic on 4 June 2014 and the paper is available on the HFEA website at: http://www.hfea.gov.uk/9152.html
	We are advised that the journal articles referred to by the noble Lord will be considered in the next review process.
	We are also advised that the research project to which the noble Lord refers first expressly used the phrase “to improve the outcome of infertility treatments” in May 2013.
	As the noble Lord is aware, the regulation making power in section 3ZA of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended, is limited to enabling regulations to be made to allow an egg or embryo to which a mitochondrial donation technique has been applied to be recognised as a permitted egg or embryo and, therefore, suitable to be placed in a woman. There is no cure for mitochondrial disease. The intended purpose of the draft regulations is to prevent the transmission of serious mitochondrial disease from mother to child in the first instance.

Student Wastage

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to Written Answer by Earl Howe on 16 December (HL3361), what was the projected attrition rate for each Higher Education Institution expressed as a percentage of starters for student nurses in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Earl Howe: Health Education England does not hold the information in the format requested.

Sudan

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor about her announcement on 12 December that she was halting the Court’s investigations into war crimes in Darfur due to a lack of meaningful progress; and what assessment they have made of the implications this may have about the conduct the Sudanese authorities and about the reputation, standing and effectiveness of the International Criminal Court.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has said that she is left with no choice but to hibernate investigative activities in Darfur. Although we have not made any direct representations to the Prosecutor on this announcement, the UK continues to call on the Government of Sudan to meet its legal obligations to cooperate with the ICC: the arrest warrants remain outstanding. With respect to the implications of this announcement for the ICC, we continue to assess that State cooperation, in particular with respect to enforcement of arrest warrants, is vital for the ICC to be effective in fulfilling its mandate to achieve justice for the victims of atrocities. I reinforced the UK’s support for the ICC when I met the Prosecutor at the Assembly of States Parties in New York on 12 December.

Syria

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of an embargo against relief aid and supplies for the Kurdish majority cantons of northern Syria; and what steps they are taking to ensure aid supplies reach those in need.

Baroness Northover: Delivering humanitarian assistance in Syria continues to pose significant challenges. The UK is working closely with our partners on contingency planning and is continuing to push all parties to allow the safe, unhindered delivery of aid.

Tanks

Lord Trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many main battle tanks, either serviceable or useable at short notice, are presently available to the British Army.

Lord Astor of Hever: We do not routinely comment on availability and levels of readiness for individual capabilities as to do so would compromise operational security or disclose information which could be of use to our adversaries. The Army has sufficient levels of main battle tanks to meet the levels of readiness required under Defence Strategic Direction and as set out in the Defence Plan.

Temporary Accommodation

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why there has been an increase between September 2013 and September 2014 in the number of statutorily homeless households placed in temporary accommodation in another local authority area.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: This Government has invested over £500 million since 2010 to tackle all forms of homelessness and rough sleeping. The homelessness legislation in England provides one of the strongest safety nets in the world for families with children and vulnerable people who become homeless through no fault of their own. Until settled accommodation is available households will be placed in suitable temporary accommodation. In considering suitability housing authorities must, by law, consider whether the accommodation is affordable for the applicant, its size, its condition, its accessibility and also its location. We have made it clear that no council should be sending tenants en masse to a different part of the country.
	The numbers of households in temporary accommodation is well below the peak under the previous administration, when they hit 101,000 in 2004. Councils have a responsibility to move homeless households into settled accommodation as quickly as possible. That is why we changed the law so that councils can place families in decent and affordable private rented homes more quickly. This will mean
	homeless households will not have to wait as long for settled accommodation, spending less time in temporary accommodation. Households now spend on average seven months less in temporary accommodation than at the start of 2010.
	London Boroughs account for 93% of households provided with temporary accommodation in another district. London Councils have previously said that the vast majority of out of borough placements are within London, or where that is not the case, are local to the placing Borough.

Temporary Accommodation: Greater London

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to uprate the Housing Benefit Subsidy regime for temporary accommodation to address any difficulties experienced by London boroughs in procuring accommodation for statutorily homeless households at or below 90 per cent of the 2011 rate of Local Housing Allowance.

Lord Freud: There are no current plans to uprate the Local Housing Allowance rate applicable to Temporary Accommodation in Housing Benefit.

Terrorism

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much financial compensation was paid out in respect of criminal damage and criminal injuries as a result of terrorist activity in Great Britain for claims lodged between 1970 and 1998.

Lord Faulks: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) does not hold this information. Before 2012, CICA did not record the specific crime of which their applicants had been a victim. This was because payments are based primarily on the injuries sustained rather than the crime of which they were a victim.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much financial compensation was paid out in respect of criminal damage and criminal injury claims lodged between 1970 and 1998 as a result of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Lord Faulks: This matter is devolved in Northern Ireland and is the responsibility of the Compensation Services (formerly known as the Compensation Agency), within the Northern Ireland Department of Justice. Compensation Services administers five statutory compensation schemes in Northern Ireland including criminal injuries and criminal damage.

Tickets

Baroness Heyhoe Flint: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the Metropolitan Police in their February 2013 Report “Ticket Crime”, and in particular the suggestion that “the lack of legislation outlawing the unauthorised resale of tickets and the absence of regulation of the primary and secondary markets encourages unscrupulous practices, a lack of transparency and fraud”.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Metropolitan Police’s 2013 report “Ticket Crime” highlights that many of the methods that touts use to acquire tickets are already illegal, as is the act of fraudulently selling fake or non-existent tickets.
	I will continue to discuss the secondary ticket market with ministerial colleagues and the relevant stakeholders, this includes discussion of options that will help consumers to make informed ticket purchases in a safe and secure environment.

Tickets

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to achieve the core Department for Business, Innovation and Skills mission statement objective of increasing transparency and empowering customers in respect of sports fans, theatre-goers and concert-goers seeking to secure reasonably priced tickets from secondary ticket markets.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has issued guidance relating to online ticket sales in the context of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. This guidance establishes how the requirements of these Regulations regarding transparency are interpreted for this market. This ensures that consumers purchasing tickets online from a trader are made aware of “their total price (including delivery costs and other charges)” and the “main characteristics” of the tickets, where “main characteristics” includes “the date and time of the event and the content of the event (e.g. who is performing)” and “for a ticket associated with a particular reserved seat (e.g. Seat 1, Row A) the seat number”.

Tickets

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to investigate the number of tickets available for sale on the secondary market for the Ashes Test at Lords in 2015 which comply with the Consumer
	Contracts Information Cancellation and Additional Charges Regulations 2013; and what action they intend to take in respect of the findings of any such investigation.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government has no plans specifically to investigate the number of tickets available on the secondary market for the Ashes test at Lords in 2015.
	Enforcement of The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 is a matter for Trading Standards and any consumers with concerns should approach their local authority’s Trading Standards or Citizens Advice via their helpline which is 03454 040506.

Tickets: Fraud

Baroness Heyhoe Flint: To ask Her Majesty’s Government , further to the remarks by Baroness Neville-Rolfe during the Report Stage of the Consumer Rights Bill on 19 November that “there is fraud in the ticket market; we do not dispute the numbers quoted from the National Fraud Authority on this. In this case of ticket fraud, it reports £1.5 billion of losses” (HL Deb, col 489), whether they intend to take action in the Bill to address the scale of fraud on consumers, in particular sports, music, theatre and entertainment fans.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: There is existing legislation in place to protect fans, as consumers, when they buy tickets. The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 ensure consumers are given key information before they buy from a trader.
	These Regulations exist alongside the Fraud Act 2006 which encompasses frauds involving tickets.
	Whilst we do not believe that further legislation is required on the specific issue of ticket fraud, the Government is reflecting on the best way to respond to the debate on tickets during Lords Report Stage of the Consumer Rights Bill.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how long it will take to procure an armed long-range anti-submarine warfare system and maritime surveillance capability, based on an unmanned aircraft, following the completion of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Lord Astor of Hever: Analysis conducted to date suggests that unmanned systems will not be able to provide an armed, long-range, anti-submarine warfare capability in the near to medium term.

Vending Machines

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the vending machine industry regarding the introduction of new coins and the costs to business it may entail.

Lord Deighton: The Government launched a public consultation on 12 September 2014, which focused on the impacts to industry of introducing a new, highly secure £1 coin in 2017. The consultation process ran until 21 November 2014 and included discussions with a wide range of industry stakeholders. The Government is currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will respond in due course.

Veterans: Housing

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 3 December (HL2639), when and how the outstanding balance of the £100 million veterans accommodation fund will be awarded.

Lord Astor of Hever: I believe the noble Lord is referring to the £40 million Veterans Accommodation Fund as announced by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, in February 2014.
	As I advised in the answer I gave on 3 December 2014 (Official Report, column WA282) the entire £40 million has now been allocated. Twelve of the projects have already been announced and these are detailed in the table below.
	
		
			 Delivery Organisation Project Title Funding Agreed 
			 Veterans Aid Refurbishment and extension to Veterans Aid hostel £3 million 
			 Haig Housing Trust Haig Housing Trust Morden and Edinburgh Infill Project £8.6 million 
			 Royal Naval Benevolent Trust Pembroke House Care & Nursing Home Window Replacement £112,270 
			 Stoll Refurbishment of Bathrooms for Disabled Veterans at Stoll £246,199 
		
	
	
		
			 Royal British Legion Maurice House Dementia Wing £2,556,705 
			 First Choice Housing Association Veterans Accommodation Pathway (Wales and the Borders) £2.268 million 
			 Blind Veterans UK Life Skills for Independent Living £1.25 million 
			 RAF Benevolent Fund Kitchen and Garden Adaptations for Use by Wheelchair-Dependent, Lifetime Disabled Veterans £400,000 
			 Riverside ECHG Colchester Veterans Accommodation Pathway £6 million 
			 RBLI Project LIBOR £1.950 million 
			 Erskine Erskine Lighting Project £550,000 
			 Stoll/Riverside ECHG/Haig Housing Trust The Aldershot Veterans Accommodation Pathway £8.5 million 
		
	
	The remainder will be announced in due course.

Vocational Guidance

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government , further to the statement by the Secretary of State for Education, Nicky Morgan MP, on 10 December (HC Deb, cols 891–3), what was the tendering process for the transformation of the National Careers Service into the proposed National Careers Company.

Lord Nash: The new careers and enterprise company that my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced on 10 December will not replace the National Careers Service. The National Careers Service does a different job. The new company will not itself be a direct delivery organisation. It will work closely with the National Careers Service, which will continue to support adults and young people and help the company bring employers and schools together, and it will work with a wide range of other organisations.

Welfare Assistance Schemes

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which organisations responded to the consultation on Local Welfare Assistance funding published on 10 October.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government will publish a summary of responses that have been received, early in 2015.

Work Experience

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to encourage and support the remuneration of internships.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The term “intern” is not defined in any legislation: entitlement to the minimum wage depends on whether or not an individual is a worker. If an internship meets the legal definition of a worker, then they must be paid at least the minimum wage from the start. Given the dependency on employment status, it is vital that employers and workers understand how this is determined.
	Last November, the Minister for Employment Relations launched a series of posters and an information video alongside 200 letters to employers to increase awareness of employers’ and interns’ rights and responsibilities in relation to the National Minimum Wage. This was followed by a Facebook campaign. The Facebook messages reached 160,000 young people and HMRC are currently evaluating the impact of the letters sent to employers.
	In addition, complaints from interns about non-payment of the minimum wage are prioritised by HMRC for investigation and HMRC will investigate every complaint made to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline. Any worker who believes that they are being paid below the minimum wage should call the helpline on 0800 917 2368.
	Determining an individual’s employment status can be complicated; this is why the Business Secretary announced a review of employment status in October this year, to help ensure an employment status framework in the UK that meets the needs of everyone. This is an internal review and will present findings to Ministers early next year.

World War I: Debts

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements they are making to repay outstanding
	debt from the First World War; and to whom the repayments will be made.

Lord Deighton: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announced on 3 December that the Government will redeem 3½% War Loan, thus repaying the vast majority of the nation’s First World War debt. The Chancellor also announced that the Government will adopt a strategy to remove the other remaining undated gilts in the government’s debt portfolio, some of which have origins going back to the eighteenth century, where it is deemed value for money to do so.
	This announcement followed the Government’s decision on 31 October to redeem the much smaller 4% Consolidated Loan, the first planned repayment of an undated gilt of this kind by government for 67 years. The Debt Management Office also announced on 17 December that 3½% Conversion Loan would be redeemed on 1 April 2015. After these redemptions, none of the £2.2bn worth of First World War debt currently in the government’s debt portfolio will remain.
	The Treasury will redeem the outstanding £1.9 billion of debt from 3½% War Loan on Monday 9 March 2015, and the 4% Consolidated Loan will be redeemed on 1 February 2015.
	The repayments on this debt will go to the holders of these bonds. The Treasury does not hold detailed information on the identity of organisations or individuals who own gilts, however information on sectoral holdings of gilts is published on a quarterly basis by the Office for National Statistics. The latest information on the breakdown of gilt holdings by sector, including a breakdown of non-UK resident holders of gilts by foreign central banks and other non-residents, is published by the ONS in Section 5.2.10 of its quarterly United Kingdom Economic Accounts publication.
	We are only able to take this action today thanks to the difficult decisions that this government has taken to get a grip on the public finances. The fact that we will no longer have to pay the relatively high rate of interest on these gilts means that most important of all, this decision represents great value for money for the taxpayer.